Federal agency considering banning gas stoves 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety is considering banning gas stoves over concerns that the appliance can lead to several health problems, Bloomberg reported. 

“This is a hidden hazard,” Richard Trumka Jr., the agency’s commissioner, told Bloomberg. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

The agency has been considering banning gas stoves for months after a December 2022 study linked the pollutants produced by the appliance to asthma and worsening respiratory conditions. 

The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that almost 13% of current childhood asthma was attributed to the indoor usage of gas stoves. 

Around 35% of U.S. households use gas stoves. In some states, such as California and New Jersey, gas stoves are found in almost 70% of kitchens.  

The Consumer Product Safety agency plans to open public comment on hazards emitted by gas stoves later this winter. 

“Agency staff plans to start gathering data and perspectives from the public on potential hazards associated with gas stoves, and proposed solutions to those hazards later this year,” the commission said in a statement to CNN. “Commission staff also continues to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards.”

Previous studies have found that gas stoves emit high levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter—all of which can be potentially dangerous without proper ventilation and can lead to cardiovascular problems, cancer, and other health conditions, according to the World Health Organization and EPA.