Gas Stoves as Harmful as Secondhand Smoke, Study Finds.

A new study by Stanford University has found that using a single gas stove burner can raise indoor concentrations of benzene, a human carcinogen, to levels above what’s found in secondhand tobacco smoke and even to levels that have prompted local investigations when detected outdoors. Gas stoves emit other harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde and can also leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas, even when they are turned off. The study has prompted concerns over the health effects of gas stoves and has led some cities and states to seek to phase out gas connections in residential buildings.