Hazardous levels of benzene, a gas known to cause leukemia and other blood cancers, are leaking from gas stoves in California, a new study finds.
Scientists at the nonprofit research firm PSE Healthy Energy gathered samples of unburned gas from 159 stoves in homes across the state of California and found benzene in 99 percent of samples.
“What we saw is that in certain cases, just having a gas stove in your kitchen could create benzene concentrations comparable to secondhand smoke,” PSE Healthy Energy said in a related blog post. As even low concentrations of benzene can raise the risk of cancer, there is no safe level of exposure, according to the World Health Organization.
“This study adds to a growing body of research that suggests gas leaks can contribute to harmful air pollution as well as climate change,” PSE Healthy Energy said of the findings, which were published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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