Are gas stoves bad for indoor air and health?

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1. 1

   Toxic Air Contaminant Emissions from Residential and Commercial Fossil Gas Appliances: A Systematic Review.

   Current environmental health reports (Tam et al.)Published Sep 16, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “We reviewed the literature to characterize TAC emissions from residential and commercial gas appliances, identify data gaps, and assess implications for regulation and public health.Recent findingsTwenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Evidence of nonzero emissions was identified for at least 41 TACs released through gas leakage and combustion pathways. Formaldehyde and benzene were the only compounds with sufficient data for quantitative characterization, with EFs varying by up to two orders of magnitude across studies and operating conditions. The literature was heavily concentrated on cooking stoves, while heaters, water heaters, and dryers were rarely studied. Emerging evidence suggests methane and carbon monoxide measurements may support inference-based estimation of leakage- and combustion-related TAC emissions. Gas appliances emit multiple carcinogenic and respiratory toxicants through both leakage and combustion. Expanded monitoring, standardized EF methodologies, and targeted measurement campaigns for understudied appliances are needed to support appliance standards, emissions inventories, and health-protective building decarbonization policies.”

2. 2

   Characterizing household air pollutant concentrations associated with an electrification program in the rural San Joaquin Valley.

   Environmental research, health : ERH (Johnson et al.)Published Mar 25, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Additionally, no electric stove homes had 1-h rolling-average NO2 concentrations exceeding the 100-ppb level deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whereas 41% of gas homes exceeded this threshold. PM2.5 concentrations were similar across groups, indicating that cooking-related emissions from food were the dominant contributor to PM2.5 mass concentrations rather than particles generated from gas combustion. Our evaluation of monitoring durations showed that two to four days of NO2 data and one week of PM2.5 data provided reliable estimates of longer-term averages, suggesting that shorter campaigns may yield robust estimates of indoor air quality. These results support the provision of electric cooking technologies as a strategy to address air quality-related health risks in rural, low-income communities and provide new evidence from an understudied population that can inform future indoor air quality research and energy transition policies.”

3. 3

   The associations between gas cooking stoves, indoor NO2 concentrations, and adverse sleep outcomes in a pediatric sample.

   Sleep (Wang et al.)Published Apr 1, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Indoor NO2 concentrations were measured continuously over 7 days by devices placed in the participants' living areas. Primary outcomes were short sleep duration (average 7-day sleep duration ResultsOf the 242 children, 74% (n = 178) were exposed to gas cooking stoves. The median (interquartile range) of the average daily 95th percentile indoor NO2 was 41.1 (38.4) ppb. Children exposed to elevated indoor NO2 level were at a 2.88 increased adjusted odds (95% CI: 1.27, 6.55, p = .012) of short sleep duration compared to children exposed to lower levels. A positive but insignificant relationship between indoor NO2 exposure and SDB was found (odds ratios = 1.23, 0.61, 2.47). Gas cooking stove exposure was unassociated with any sleep outcome.ConclusionsExposure to elevated indoor NO2 was associated with higher odds of short sleep duration in children. Interventions targeting indoor air quality may provide a novel approach for improving sleep health and reducing pediatric sleep disparities.”

4. 4

   Effectiveness of HEPA/Carbon Filter Air Purifier in Reducing Indoor NO2 and PM2.5 in Homes with Gas Stove Use in Lowell, Massachusetts.

   Toxics (Kadiri et al.)Published Nov 28, 2025Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) impact health outcomes. This study utilized a pre- to post-test study design to evaluate the impact of air purifiers fitted with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) and carbon filters in reducing indoor NO2 and PM2.5. Sixty-seven low-income homes in Lowell, Massachusetts, were included in this study. Home visits were conducted every four months for 12 months. At each visit, we conducted environmental sampling, measuring indoor NO2, PM2.5, stove use, temperature, and humidity over 5-7 days. We collected environmental exposure data using questionnaires. Air purifiers were introduced after the 4th month. Linear mixed models were used to predict changes in NO2 and PM2.5, with independent predictors as fixed effects and homes as random effects. The geometric mean (GM) for NO2 decreased by 36% from 20.16 to 12.79 ppb (p 2.5 decreased by 45% from 17.12 to 9.16 µg/m3 (p 2 and PM2.5, and an increase in stove usage increased NO2. HEPA/carbon filters have the potential to improve indoor air quality by reducing NO2 and PM2.5, enabling the tailoring of interventions to mitigate these air pollutants.”

5. 5

   Gas stove (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Sep 29, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “A gas stove is a stove that is fuelled by flammable gas such as natural gas, propane, butane, liquefied petroleum gas or syngas. Before the advent of gas, cooking stoves relied on solid fuels, such as coal or wood. The first gas stoves were developed in the 1820s and a gas stove factory was established in England in 1836. This new cooking technology had the advantage of being easily adjustable and could be turned off when not in use. The gas stove, however, did not become a commercial success until the 1880s, by which time supplies of piped gas were available in cities and large towns in Britain. The stoves became widespread in Continental Europe and in the United States in the early 20th century. Gas stoves became more common when the oven was integrated into the base and resized to fit in with the rest of the kitchen furniture. By the 1910s, producers started to enamel their gas stoves for easier cleaning. Early models used match ignition, later replaced by pilot lights — more convenient but wasteful due to constant gas use. Ovens still required manual ignition, posing explosion risks if the gas was accidentally turned on, but not ignited.”