The natural gas piped into millions of Californian homes is dangerous for everyone.
New research from the non-profit energy science and policy research institute PSE Healthy Energy indicates that the natural gas delivered to millions of California households for heating and cooking carries high levels of carcinogens and hazardous air pollutants.
Even low-level gas leaks from off-gas stoves can generate seven times California’s recommended exposure limit for benzene, found a study published today in Environmental Science & Technology.
These amounts are in addition to stove-related benzene leakage.
“Stoves leak small amounts of gas all the time,” adds lead author Dr. Eric Lebel, “even when they are off. While these leaks are often too small to smell, they can still impact air quality and increase human health risks in our homes.”
They “found that just having a gas stove can create benzene concentrations in the kitchen comparable to secondhand smoke.”
The study provides the most extensive data to date regarding the concentration of harmful air pollutants in California’s natural gas at the distribution level.
Researchers took 185 separate samples of gas that hadn’t been burned from kitchen stoves all over the state.
Nearly all samples, including those from the three biggest gas utilities in the state, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), were found to contain benzene and other dangerous air pollutants.
Six of the 10 most frequently found pollutants are classified as dangerous air pollutants by the federal government under the Clean Air Act.
Pollutant concentrations varied across the state, with Los Angeles County having the highest concentrations. The study’s maximum benzene concentration, which was 66 ppmv, was found in the North San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. This is a level that is nearly 30 times higher than the statewide average.
Researchers also estimated the possibility of gas leaks affecting outdoor air quality.
Using current emissions data, the researchers determined that California’s gas appliances and distribution-level infrastructure emit as much benzene annually as roughly 60,000 cars.
“Natural gas leaks are a source of hazardous air pollutants that have largely been overlooked,” adds PSE Healthy Energy Senior Scientist Drew Michanowicz. “Policies that phase out gas appliances are not only good for our climate, our study shows that these policies also provide important public health benefits by improving indoor and outdoor air quality.”
The report comes as California plans to switch from gas to electric home appliances due to environmental and health concerns.
The first-ever national pledge to phase out the sale of gas furnaces and water heaters by 2030 was approved by California’s air regulators last month. As a result, millions of homes will switch to electric alternatives like heat pumps.
The state has already begun phasing out subsidies for connecting new homes to the gas infrastructure and is considering eliminating rebates for gas appliances to encourage the switch to electric alternatives.
Source: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02581
Image Credit: Getty
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