Researchers have found cancer-causing benzene and other air pollutants in samples from 159 homes in the Golden State.
Even when they’re turned off, gas stoves in California are leaking toxins into homes at levels that are comparable to secondhand smoke, according to new research published Thursday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Even when they’re turned off, gas stoves in California are leaking toxins into homes at levels that are comparable to secondhand smoke, according to new research published Thursday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Согласно новому исследованию, опубликованному в четверг в журнале Environmental Science & Technology, даже когда они выключены, газовые плиты в Калифорнии выделяют токсины в дома на уровне, сравнимом с пассивным курением. Even when they are turned off, gas stoves in California release toxins into homes at levels comparable to secondhand smoke, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Gas stoves in California release toxins into homes at levels comparable to secondhand smoke, even when they are turned off, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. In some areas, the number of gas leaks was seven times the state’s recommended limit.
Scientists have found a number of air pollutants, including toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and benzene, in samples taken from unlit gas stoves in 159 California homes. All chemicals can cause health problems in humans, but researchers are especially concerned about the presence of benzene, which can cause cancer and, in particular, increase the risk of leukemia.
The Greater Los Angeles area, northern San Fernando Valley, and Santa Clarita Valley had the highest levels of benzene in households, according to the data.
“Our science shows that people in California are being exposed to potentially dangerous levels of benzene entering their homes through a pipeline,” said study co-author Drew Mihanowicz, senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy at the Institute for Energy and Policy Studies. , Drew Costley of the Associated Press (AP). “We hope that policy makers take this data into account when developing policy to ensure that current and future policies protect health based on this new research.”
The team also calculated that California’s outdoor gas pipelines release more than 4 tons of benzene into the atmosphere every year, which is comparable to the annual benzene emissions from 58,800 cars. According to the newspaper, these emissions were not included in the state’s calculations.
Benzene is a widely used industrial chemical. It is man-made and can also form as a result of natural processes such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions. Manufacturers use it to make dyes, plastics, fibers, resins, pesticides, detergents, lubricants, and other products. It is present in gasoline and crude oil, as well as in tobacco smoke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to benzene can cause the body’s cells to malfunction. Symptoms of inhalation gas poisoning include tremors, irregular heartbeat, headache, confusion, dizziness, and even death.
Long-term exposure to benzene can lead to other effects, including cancer, anemia, heavy bleeding, menstrual irregularities, and a weakened immune system, according to the CDC. Even with low levels of benzene, toxic chemicals can accumulate in the body throughout life.
“There really is no safe threshold,” Philip J. Landrigan, a pediatrician and public health physician at Boston College, who was not involved in the study, told The New York Times’ Elena Shao.
The researchers believe their results support a policy of phasing out gas appliances and replacing them with electric alternatives to reduce environmental impact. California, for example, will phase out the sale of all new gas stoves and water heaters by 2030, and about 50 cities in the state have banned or discouraged gas stoves in new buildings. The Federal Inflation Reduction Act also includes incentives for homeowners who install induction cookers.
Flaring of natural gas accounts for approximately 80 percent of all US residential and commercial carbon dioxide emissions. Although electric devices do not completely eliminate emissions (because most electricity is still generated from coal, natural gas, oil and other fossil fuels), advocates say they are more environmentally friendly than gas-powered devices. Switching fossil fuel power plants to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power will reduce electricity emissions.
But not everyone is optimistic about the results of the study. For example, the American Gas Association told The Hill’s Gianna Melillo that the sample size of the study was too small to provide any meaningful results. The association, which represents more than 200 local energy companies nationwide that supply natural gas, also questioned the study’s assumptions about the frequency of indoor air changes.
“When there are more than 77 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas users in all 50 states, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from the measurements of 159 households in one state,” the statement said.
Sara Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. It covers history, science, travel, food and drink, ecology, economics and more.
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Post time: Oct-26-2022