Study: 15% of childhood asthma cases in Massachusetts linked to gas stoves

NATICK - A warning for parents whose kids suffer from asthma, the way you cook dinner may be making their condition worse.

A new study shows more than 15% of childhood asthma cases in Massachusetts can be traced back to using a gas stove. Researchers say there is growing evidence that nitrogen dioxide from a gas stove can trigger an asthma attack. It may also be responsible for causing asthma in children. The data comes from a study by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

"There's about 50 years of health studies that show a relationship between health impacts like childhood asthma and gas stove pollution," said Brady Seals, Manager of the Carbon Free Buildings Program at RMI. "More than half of households with children in Massachusetts are cooking with a gas stove."

"One of the major ones that concerns us is nitrogen dioxide, which happens anytime you burn any fuel," adds Dr. Jon Levy, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University's School of Public Health. "I think there is an increased focus on indoor environments during the pandemic. We have known for a long time that nitrogen dioxide can trigger asthma attacks."

Amy Boyd and her 9-year-old-son Jacob both deal with asthma. Boyd was horrified to learn that her gas stove may be impacting her and her son.

"I mean it was shocking to think that something I'm using to try to prepare healthy food for my kid might be making my kid sicker," said Boyd. "We give my son nightly nebulizer treatments to keep his asthma at a steady state. Once or twice a month we have to give him an emergency rescue inhaler."

There are ways to remediate the impacts of a gas stove. You should always make sure to cook with a ventilation hood on. You can also open a window. Cooking on the back burners can also reduce exposure and maximize the efficiency of the ventilation hood.