Here in DC the Beyond Gas folks have been working to convince policy makers that now is the time to switch away from burning natural gas in our homes. As part of that effort they’ve been collecting measurements from homes to document the affect of gas appliances on indoor air quality. Last year I signed up to have my home tested and in January a volunteer came to test for NO2, CO & methane (the primary component of natural gas). Measurements were made, I learned a few things and became fairly alarmed about the air in my home.
The process for the testing went like this; first they tested outside, to capture the outdoor levels near my house. Then the same testing process was done on each level of the house, waiting at each location for several minutes to allow the measurements to settle. We took measurements in my dining room, upstairs master bedroom, and then basement. Of these the dining room was by far the worst.
The EPA’s “Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide” has a “1-hour standard at a level of 100 ppb”. At 173 ppb, as measured from my dining room table, we’re clearly over that limit. More alarming - we had not used the stove for over 24 hours. That NO2 was just hanging around our kitchen.
It’s winter, the house is closed up and we have radiators, so there isn’t a huge amount of air circulation. Each level does have a exhaust fan or 2 - like in the bathroom or oven hood - that we use regularly, but there isn’t anything constantly and actively circulating air in the house. It’s likely that the NO2 level is just like this all the time.
I am slowly starting to replace my natural gas appliances with electric ones. The water heater started to fail this fall and has been replaced with an electric one. The stove is up next. And yes, I know I’m late to the party here. Being alarmed about gas stoves is so 2022. But here I am. I’ve got the data from my actual home that I can’t ignore. At least it’s looking like induction ranges are easier to find and less expensive now too.
I just need to remember not to buy that new stove at Home Depot.