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Text that says "Gas Stoves Release Toxic Chemicals Into Your Home" with "Toxic Chemicals" as a neon signGas is haunting your home! New research shows gas stoves release terrifying toxins like benzene, a cancer-causing carcinogen, into your home. Make the switch, before it's too late...

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get the word out: Gas Is Haunting Your Kitchen

Researchers from PSE Healthy Energy tested gas from 159 stoves across California and found that gas leaks contain varying levels of 12 hazardous air pollutants, and are a significant contributor to indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Most troubling was the presence of benzene, a highly toxic carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure. Concentrations of benzene were disturbingly high in some areas, and researchers found that simply having a gas stove exposes the people who live there to levels of benzene comparable to living with a smoker.

  • Study was conducted between February and September 2021
  • Samples included 16 counties throughout California, from all three major gas companies

NEW RESEARCH FINDS:

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Research

Gas contains benzene, a carcinogen. Leaks happen often and many are too small to detect by smell–just having a gas stove in your kitchen can create benzene concentrations comparable to secondhand smoke.

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Solutions

The best way to remove the risk from gas is to remove the gas. Government rebates can help ease the transition to electric stoves for some families, but systemic problems need policy solutions. We recommend getting a leak detection survey and increasing kitchen ventilation.

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Health

We already knew that gas leaks harm the climate, but we now know they can create harmful air pollution. Leaks are a problem for our health and the climate.

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185
Gas Samples Collected
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12
Hazardous Air Pollutants
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99 %
Of samples contained cancer-causing Benzene
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60 ,000
cars worth of benzene leaked by gas stoves annually
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Healthy Home
A healthy home is an all-electric home

Is gas haunting your home? Gas stoves leak all the time, and now we know that they leak terrifying toxins that cause asthma, cancer, and other health problems. Go electric. Be healthy!

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Family First
Don’t let gas put your family in harm’s way

Putting family first means protecting your kids from gas pollution, and keeping their air clean and safe. Skip the scary substances. Protect your loved ones.

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Benzene's a Bad Bargain
No one asked for ghoulish gas toxins

Gas stoves release more than a dozen hazardous pollutants known to cause short-term and chronic illness, like benzene which is linked to an increased risk of leukemia.

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GAS INDUSTRY LIES
What they don't tell you can hurt you
The gas industry claims their product is safe, but scientists found that gas stove leaks can create indoor benzene concentrations that exceed California’s recommended exposure levels by 130%.
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WANT GAS GONE?

You can make the switch right away, or wait until the end of your gas stove’s life and then replace it with an electric stove. However you electrify, here’s a guide to help you make the switch to a safe, clean, efficient electric stovetop

 

How to Make the Switch

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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PSE HEALTHY ENERGY'S LATEST REPORT
Composition, emissions, and air quality impacts of Hazardous Air Pollutants in unburned natural gas in California

The natural gas piped into millions of California homes for heating and cooking contains elevated levels of carcinogens and hazardous air pollutants, according to new research from the nonprofit energy science and policy research institute PSE Healthy Energy. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, found that even low-level gas leaks from kitchen stoves when they are off can generate benzene concentrations in homes up to seven times California’s recommended exposure limit. These concentrations are in addition to benzene leaks that may occur when the stove is in use.

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People in California are exposed to potentially hazardous levels of benzene from the gas that is piped into their homes. We hope policymakers will ensure policies are health-protective in light of this new research.

Dr. Drew Michanowicz, Senior Scientist
PSE Healthy Energy
Just having a gas appliance in your house can be a potential health risk. Eliminating gas altogether is the only sure way to completely eliminate that risk.
Dr. Eric Lebel, Senior Scientist
PSE Healthy Energy

Leaks are an unavoidable part of the gas system – leaks can happen during production, processing, and delivery. Wherever there is a gas leak, hazardous air pollutants are likely to be emitted with methane throughout the system–which ends in our homes.

Dr. Kelsey Bilsback, Senior Scientist
PSE Healthy Energy

 

TELL CONGRESS

It's time to protect families from gas pollution.

There are steps we can take to reduce our exposure to gas – but systemic problems require systemic solutions. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has the authority to set safety requirements for gas stoves. Tell your member of congress to take action.