Hidden Dangers in Your Kitchen

New Greenpeace research warns about health concerns from gas stoves that millions of families use daily.

What Our Research Revealed

Field tests in real households switching from gas stoves to electric cookers reveal the hidden health risks of using gas stoves. Besides these health risks: gas stoves can emit methane, a powerful climate pollutant, even when turned off.

Toxic Emissions

Gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide and carcinogen benzene.

Children at Risk

Children are especially vulnerable to NO₂. Reducing emissions from gas stoves can help protect their developing lungs and support healthy growth.

Indoor Air Quality

Our research shows that removal of the gas cooking stove contributes to improved air quality inside your home.

Researchers from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories conducted a scientific study in 12 homes—9 in Croatia and 3 in Hungary—to measure indoor air pollution. In the first phase, households cooked with fossil gas. They then replaced their gas cookers with electric appliances, and in the second phase, all cooking was done using electricity. Air quality was measured in both phases, with additional outdoor measurements taken to account for pollution entering the homes from outside.

Our findings show that NO₂ and benzene concentrations decreased in the majority of households after switching from gas to electric cooking.

While the gas industry has long promoted gas stoves as safe and efficient, our independent testing tells a different story. The health risks are particularly significant for children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Protect Your own and Your Family’s Health Today

Download our free guide: „9 Ways to Reduce Gas Stove Health Risks” and take action to safeguard your home.

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The gas that comes out of your gas stove is methane gas in most cases. So besides the health risks it brings into your home, it is also a climate killer. If you want to support a European phase out of fossil gas, sign the open letter now.

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Why This Matters Now

In Europe, on average, adults spend as much as 90% of their time breathing air indoors.
Did you know that cooking can be an important cause of indoor air pollution?
Our research shows that gas stoves can significantly impact your family’s health.
We measured both NO₂ and benzene in kitchens.
NO₂ can irritate the respiratory tract, trigger asthma attacks, and reduce lung function.
Benzen is a toxic chemical that can have long-term health effects, including cancer, if inhaled. There is no safe level recommended for it, so it should be reduced as much as possible.

The good news? There are practical steps you can take today to reduce these risks while you consider longer-term solutions for your home.

What You’ll Learn:

Immediate steps to improve air quality

Proper ventilation techniques

Alternative cooking methods

When to consider appliance upgrades

Health monitoring recommendations

Support our work for healthy homes and a stable climate

Give the price of a coffee to help us reveal hidden health and climate dangers with similar research in the future.

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Gas Stoves and Your Health: 10 Things You Should Know

1. Do gas stoves pollute the air inside our homes?

Yes. Gas stoves release harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, formaldehyde, and benzene. These pollutants can accumulate indoors, especially in homes with poor ventilation.

2. What health risks are linked to gas stove pollution?

Exposure to gas stove emissions can worsen asthma, increase the risk of respiratory infections, and even contribute to heart disease and cancer. NO₂ and benzene are especially concerning for long-term health.

3. Are children more vulnerable to gas stove pollution?

Absolutely. Children have developing lungs and breathe more air relative to their body weight. Studies show gas stoves are linked to 12-13% of childhood asthma cases: a risk similar to secondhand smoke.

4. What did your research in Hungary and Croatia find?

We measured indoor air pollution before and after switching from gas to electric stoves in 12 homes. In most households, indoor levels of NO₂ and benzene dropped more indoors than outdoors, clearly linking gas combustion to poor indoor air quality.

5. Can switching to electric or induction stoves really help?

Yes. Our findings show that removing gas stoves led to improved indoor air quality in nearly every home studied. Switching to electric or induction stoves means less exposure to toxic pollutants inside your home.

6. Is this only a health issue, or also a climate issue?

Both. Gas stoves also leak methane, a powerful greenhouse gas: even when turned off. Switching to electric cooking helps reduce climate pollution and improves public health at the same time.

7. What communities are most at risk?

People in overcrowded or poorly ventilated housing, low-income households, and those with existing health conditions face higher risks. These are the communities that need targeted support first.

8. What are you calling for in response to the findings?

We’re urging governments to fund stove replacements, with the emphasis on low-income households, especially those with children, pensioners, or respiratory illnesses and phase out gas stove installations in all new homes in Croatia and Hungary from 2027.

9. Is this transition affordable for everyone?

Not yet. That’s why Greenpeace is calling for public subsidies so vulnerable households aren’t left behind. Clean air in the home should not depend on your income. It’s a matter of health equity and climate justice.

10. Why does this matter now?

Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, especially at home. Clean cooking is one of the simplest ways to improve air quality and health. The data is clear: gas stoves pollute, and we now have the tools, and the responsibility, to make a change.