For the first time, researchers have estimated the number of deaths caused by gas stoves in Europe. More than 36,000 premature deaths are attributed to these household appliances each year. France is one of the most affected countries. If you have one, here is how to limit pollution in your interior.
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Road traffic, industrial fumes, wood heating: outdoor air pollution is a subject that increasingly worries the French. But inside homes, seemingly harmless objects can be just as dangerous to your health.
This is what a study published in October 2024 by researchers from Jaume I University, in Spain, reveals. For the first time, they analyzed the risks linked to the emission of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from gas stoves.
According to them, exposure to NO2 in homes is responsible for 36,000 premature deaths in Europe each year, and a reduction in life expectancy of around two years. To achieve these results, the researchers cross-referenced existing health studies with nitrogen dioxide readings in European homes. France is one of the five most affected countries with Italy, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.
In France, the Respire association has also worked on the dangers of gas stoves. In a study carried out jointly with the NGO CLASP and the pollster Opinium in 2023, it reveals that almost a third (31.7%) of French households cook with gas, but few are aware of the dangers of this type of cooking, due to the invisible nature of the pollution emanating from it.
According to the study, more than half of French households (53%) using gas cooking (hobs and ovens) exceed the daily threshold recommended by the WHO for exposure to nitrogen dioxide ( NO2). “We can no longer turn a blind eye to the risks associated with cooking with gas! This is a public health issue that must be tackled head on by French politicians. To protect the French and particularly children, we must encourage and support them towards electrification!” declares Tony Renucci, general director of Respire, in a press release published by the association.
It would be ideal to change your cooking method, especially if people with asthma live in your household. Electric or induction cookers work without combustion and are, in fact, much safer.
If you can't part with your gas stove, here are five tips to follow to limit your exposure to pollutants:
- Make sure your gas stove is well maintained and cleaned regularly
- Always use the hood when the stove is on
- Install a good air ventilation system that returns airflow to the outside
- Ventilate as soon as possible by opening windows during or after using the gas stove
- Never use your gas stove to heat yourself
In addition to nitrogen dioxide, other harmful pollutants are emitted by the combustion of gas during cooking: carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde and fine particles.
In their study, Spanish scientists claim that this indoor air pollution would greatly increase the risk of pediatric asthma. 367,000 cases of asthma in European children are linked to overexposure to nitrogen dioxide. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that children living in homes equipped with gas stoves are 20% more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases.
This gas also causes pneumonia, bronchitis and serious respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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