A new study has claimed that gas cookers could be responsible for up to 40,000 early deaths a year in Europe alone. Conducted in Jaume University's School of Health Sciences in Spain, this research is the first of its kind linking indoor NO₂ levels from gas cookers with existing health studies.
In the 14 countries studied researchers found that the average home goes way beyond WHO guidelines for indoor air quality and NO₂ emissions from gas cookers combined with background pollution were to blame.
Dr. Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit, lead author, states, “Since 1978, we’ve known that NO₂ levels are higher in kitchens with gas than those with electric cookers. Only now, however, are we able to estimate the impact on human lives.”
It appears that half of European homes exceed WHO NO₂ limits. Households in Italy, Poland, Romania, France, and the UK show the highest rates of premature deaths from NO₂ exposure, with pollution especially intense in poorly ventilated homes or those with prolonged cooking times.
Indoor air quality has become an increasingly urgent health concern as Europeans spend most of their time indoors and with the rise of remote working even more time at home. And as insulation increases due to the plan to reduce emissions and costs caused through heating this reduces ventilation further.
Additionally, gas stoves leak methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—even when turned off.
Outdoor NO₂ pollution has decreased in Europe thanks to vehicle emission standards, yet background pollution remains significant. The research, which integrates dozens of health studies linking NO₂ to asthma and premature mortality, scaled Dutch NO₂ measurements from multiple European locations to create regional maps of indoor pollution and health impacts.
While this study represents a major advancement, the actual issues could be even higher.
Due to limited data, many other pollutants from gas cookers including things like carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and particulate matter—weren’t fully assessed, though researchers estimate gas cookers contribute to 367,000 childhood asthma cases and 726,000 cases across all ages.
That's why the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is advocating for rapid phase-out of gas cookers through emissions limits, financial incentives, and mandatory labeling to inform consumers about health risks.