Kitchen Workers Face High Air Pollution From Gas Stoves, Study Shows
A US study finds nitrogen dioxide in gas-powered restaurant kitchens can surpass WHO limits, putting millions of culinary workers at risk.
Commercial kitchen workers are regularly exposed to elevated levels of air pollution from gas-powered cooking equipment, according to a first-of-its-kind American study that also found the hazard can extend to restaurant diners.
Researchers at PSE Healthy Energy, a nonprofit research institute, measured nitrogen dioxide concentrations in restaurants that use gas stoves and found levels can exceed limits set by the World Health Organization. The findings raise particular concern given the scale of the workforce involved: roughly 3.6 million people are employed in catering and hospitality in the United Kingdom, while the US figure is estimated at close to 16 million.
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Dr. Drew Michanowicz, senior author of the study, said his team was driven by earlier research showing that just 30 minutes of residential gas cooking can meaningfully degrade indoor air quality. The implication for professional cooks — who work over gas burners for hours at a stretch, day after day — pointed to a potentially serious and underexamined occupational health issue.
The research adds momentum to a broader scientific conversation about the indoor air quality consequences of gas appliances, a debate that has already prompted some municipalities to consider or enact restrictions on gas hookups in new construction. For kitchen workers, however, the exposure is not incidental but occupational, raising questions about workplace safety standards and ventilation requirements in the food service industry.
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