READ THIS NEXT: If You Feel This in Your Throat, Get Checked for Cancer. While much has been made of outdoor air pollution, fewer people are concerned about the air quality in their own homes. This could leave you vulnerable to harmful substances, especially since Americans spend the vast majority of their time indoors. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, survey respondents “reported spending an average of 87 percent of their time in enclosed buildings and about six percent of their time in enclosed vehicles.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that within these enclosed spaces, high concentrations of pollutants can take a major toll. “Studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times—and occasionally more than 100 times—higher than outdoor levels,” they write. READ THIS NEXT: Drinking This Popular Beverage Can Triple Your Cancer Risk, Studies Say. In fact, a 2020 report published by a joint coalition of four organizations—Rocky Mountain Institute, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Mothers Out Front, and Sierra Club—warns that natural gas stoves may be a leading health hazard in American homes. “Across the United States, millions of homes and apartments rely on gas appliances for heating and cooking. Burning gas in buildings is not only a threat to climate action but also to human health, as these appliances are sources of indoor air pollution,” their experts write. “Gas stoves, particularly when unvented, can be a primary source of indoor air pollution. What’s more, a robust body of scientific research shows the pollutants released by gas stoves can have negative health effects, often exacerbating respiratory conditions like asthma.” A new study published by the journal Environmental Science & Technology in June 2022 analyzed natural gas samples from 69 cooking stoves in Boston. The research team found that these samples contained at least 21 different dangerous air pollutants such as “benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and hexane.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Curtis Nordgaard, MD, MSc, a co-author of the study and an environmental health scientist for the PSE Healthy Energy research institute in Oakland, California, noted that 95 percent of the samples contained benzene. “Some of the others may have some suspected carcinogenic activity, but benzene is really the one of greatest concern,” he told U.S. News & World Report. “We know it causes leukemia and it’s also been associated with lymphoma,” he added. For more health news sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. If you have a natural gas stove at home, it’s important to take certain precautions to offset your increased cancer risk. In particular, you can increase ventilation in your kitchen by cooking with the windows open, circulating air with a fan, and running the range hood while using your stove. Nordgaard says you should also ensure that your range hood directs air outdoors, instead of recirculating it throughout your home. Natural gas may find its way into your home in other ways, as well. “We know from other research that these pollutants can be found in gas that’s coming up from a well,” Nordgaard said. “So we suspect a lot of these compounds may actually be present from where the gas comes out of the ground all the way to the pipeline going into your home and your kitchen stove.” Having an HVAC professional inspect your home and stove for possible natural gas leaks can help ensure that you remain at minimal risk. Speak with your doctor if you believe you may have been exposed to a natural gas leak.
