Gas Stoves Linked to Cancer-Causing Benzene Emissions: Study

Gas stoves emit benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, at levels higher than those found in secondhand tobacco smoke, according to a new study from Stanford University. Benzene can linger in homes at dangerous levels for hours, even with exhaust fans above stoves that vent outdoors. The study adds to the growing body of evidence that natural gas cooking stoves may pose health risks, as benzene levels were found to be 10 to 25 times higher than electric stoves and could travel beyond the kitchen and stay inside long after cooking was finished.