Gas Stoves Raise Toxic Benzene Pollution At Home: Study

Using gas stoves can raise levels of the carcinogen benzene throughout the home to dangerous levels for hours after use, a newly released study showed, Ben Adler reported for Yahoo News.

Photo Insert: A single gas burner on high, or oven set to 350 Fahrenheit, for 45 minutes raised kitchen benzene concentrations above the upper estimate of benzene concentrations found in secondhand smoke.

Published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the study measured benzene emissions from gas stoves and ovens and found the concentrations of the toxic chemical went far higher than the benchmark deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Lead author Yannai Kashtan of Stanford University stated that a single gas burner on high, or oven set to 350 Fahrenheit, for 45 minutes raised kitchen benzene concentrations above the upper estimate of benzene concentrations found in secondhand smoke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), acute benzene poisoning can cause symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches and even death at very high levels.

Long-term exposure to benzene can decrease the number of red blood cells, leading to anemia, can weaken the immune system and can cause cancers such as leukemia. Benzene also worsens asthma among children.

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