New analysis completed in California confirms that cooking using natural gas is safe. Despite recent headlines, emissions from cooking using natural gas do not represent a health risk — and significantly, there is no difference between cooking with natural gas and electric stoves in terms of indoor air quality.
The report released by researchers at Catalyst Environmental Solutions details how a 2020 study from researchers at UCLA inflated the risk of using gas stoves and other appliances through incorrect and misleading comparisons of emissions to established air quality standards. This new analysis finds major technical flaws in the UCLA study alleging a connection between gas appliances and worsened indoor air quality.
This new analysis questions the recent efforts of municipalities and state regulatory agencies who are citing the UCLA report in an effort to restrict consumer access to gas appliances such as stoves and ovens. The UCLA study mischaracterizes emissions from gas stoves while advocating for an expensive and burdensome transition to all-electric.
The report titled Issues that Render the Sierra Club/UCLA Study of Effects of Residential Gas Appliances on Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality and Public Health in California Not Useful for Decision-Making Purposes can be found here
The new research was sponsored by the California Restaurant Association.
Other findings from the analysis include:
The UCLA study’s findings were the result of incorrect comparisons with state and federal air quality standards. Using the same data, Catalyst’s report finds the UCLA study should have concluded that there are no significant adverse health impacts from gas appliances.
The UCLA report cites but does not acknowledge, several references that conclude that indoor air quality is influenced more by the act of cooking than whether natural gas or electric device is used.
The results of the UCLA report depend upon a series of assumptions, with many unsupported by previous studies.
Many of the statements made in the UCLA study are not supported by the data provided or the references cited.