Allergic Living: Asthma Experts Say You Don't Need To Ditch Your Gas Stove
By Jennifer Van Evra
It has long been known that gas stoves emit chemicals including nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde that can irritate airways. But a recent study raised alarm bells by linking their use with the onset of childhood asthma. This has left many families wondering: do we need to ditch our gas stove?
Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the study attributes 12.7 percent of childhood asthma in the U.S. to gas stove use. It goes on to say the amount of childhood asthma that could be prevented by avoiding gas stoves varies by state, but ranges from 13.5 to 21 percent.
After the study’s release, Richard Trumka Jr., a commissioner with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, made headlines by saying the agency could even consider banning gas stoves. (The CPSC later backtracked, saying it was looking to reduce gas stove emissions, but not to ban.)
So where does this leave families with a history of asthma and allergies? According to Kansas City allergist Dr. Jay Portnoy, people don’t need to kick their gas stoves to the curb just yet.
The study looks at the population in general, he explains, and doesn’t measure the actual physiological effects of gas stoves on children. It also doesn’t prove that gas stove use causes asthma symptoms, says Portnoy, who is in the division of allergy, asthma and immunology at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.
Read the full article via Allergic Living
Children's Mercy Allergy & Immunology department