Premature Deaths And Illness Linked To Cooking With Gas Stoves Should Prompt Action To Improve Indoor Air Quality

The College is urging action following the release of a report showing that indoor air pollution from gas stoves is linked to the premature deaths of over 200 people each year in Aotearoa.

The report – Indoor Combustion in New Zealand Homes: Health Effects and Costs – was commissioned by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and assessed the impacts of harmful air pollutants from gas stoves, wood burners and unflued gas heaters commonly used in homes.

“Indoor air pollution is a major yet poorly recognised risk factor for public health” says New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine President, Sir Collin Tukuitonga.

In addition to 208 premature deaths, the study found that pollution from gas stoves was linked to over 3,320 asthma cases in children, 236 cardiovascular hospitalisations and 775 respiratory hospitalisations each year. The estimated total costs of this burden, including from hospitalisations and lost productivity, was estimated at $3.3 billion a year.

Despite sometimes being marketed as a cleaner fuel, natural gas and LPG are fossil fuels, and their indoor combustion releases harmful pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), both of which this study assessed. The extraction and combustion of natural gas also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

This report is a clear example of the need to embed a health-in-all-policies approach to decision making, says Tukuitonga. “Policies and regulations made by various agencies that influence where and how we live can have major impacts on public health and the costs to our health system”.

The College has just signed the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air, an initiative on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting taking place in New York. The evidence is clear that clean indoor air reduces illness, improves cognitive function, productivity and prevents the spread of respiratory infections.

New Zealand has no national agency with clear responsibility for indoor air quality. Tukuitonga says a first step to advance indoor air quality in this country would be to establish a national agency which is resourced to develop a comprehensive strategy and set national standards for acceptable indoor air quality. “We need action to set maximum values for indoor particulate matter and chemicals, and to consider pollutant standards for appliances that use gas,” says Tukuitonga.

Public health authorities in Europe have urged policymakers to phase out gas stoves by setting limits on emissions, offering subsidies to help switch to cleaner stoves and requiring manufacturers to label stoves with their pollution risks.

Fossil fuels also contribute to climate change, which is considered the biggest threat to health. Tukuitonga is calling for decision makers to factor in the substantial co-benefits to health from measures to mitigate climate change. “This study provides another reason why we need to transition away from the use of fossil fuels, including in our homes”.

Note:

The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine is the professional body representing the medical specialty of public health medicine in Aotearoa New Zealand. Public Health Medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the assessment of population health and health care needs, the development of policy and strategy, health promotion, the control and prevention of disease, and the organisation of services. For information about our mahi, members or purpose visit our website www.nzcphm.org.nz

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