The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering a potential ban on natural gas stoves, Bloomberg reports.
“This is a hidden hazard,” Richard Trumka Jr., an agency commissioner, said in an interview. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
A study published in December 2022 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that gas-burning stoves, which are present in about 40% of U.S. households, can emit harmful pollution that contributes to 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the country, similar to the risk from exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke.
The CPSC is considering either prohibiting the manufacture and import of these stoves or implementing regulations to reduce their emissions.
The agency previously gathered data and public input on the potential hazards of gas stoves and proposed solutions.
A January 2022 study published by the American Chemical Society and cited by the Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization linked the levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and soot released by these stoves to respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, and cancer.
The CPSC plans to allow public comments on the health concerns related to gas stoves later this winter, according to Trumka.
