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The gas vs. electric debate continues when it comes to which stove is best — and safest — for your kitchen. Published in early July, a study by the MetroHealth System, a Northeast Ohio hospital and academic medical center, in collaboration with six community organizations found that participants with asthma reported respiratory improvement after they swapped their gas stoves for electric.
According to one of the researchers, Dr. Ashwini Sehgal, a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University, in an article published by the nonprofit news organization The Conversation, this is the first study to explore whether switching from a gas to an electric stove can reduce asthma symptoms.
The study’s findings
The study included 85 adults and children in Northeast Ohio with “poorly controlled asthma,” which was based on their symptoms, use of emergency medication and activity limitations. Each participant logged this information not only for one to four weeks before their gas stoves were replaced at no cost with electric induction models but also two to three months after the replacement.
“We chose electric induction stoves because they heat up and cool down rapidly, and they are safer and easier to clean than electric coil stoves,” Sehgal wrote in his The Conversation article. While induction stoves are powered by electricity, they use an electromagnetic field to heat your cookware, whereas electric stoves rely on electricity to do so.
Before and after the stoves were replaced, air quality monitors were used to measure nitrogen dioxide levels for seven-day periods. Nitrogen dioxide, a gaseous air pollutant emitted by gas stoves, can harm the lungs.
After the switch from gas to electric, indoor nitrogen dioxide levels decreased by 70%, and according to Sehgal, participants’ asthma symptoms went from moderate to mild, demonstrating improvements “similar to — or even greater than — those reported in clinical trials of commonly used asthma medications.”
Missed days of work or school decreased by about 80%, while ER visits and hospitalizations decreased by 70%.
Aside from asthma improvement, 98% of participants reported feeling satisfied or very satisfied with their new electric induction stoves, whereas 41% felt the same about their previous gas models.
Research limitations
Sehgal notes that the study followed only a small number of people for a few months and did not include a comparison group with gas stoves. The results were also based on a self-reported questionnaire rather than medical records.
Results may not apply to people with mild asthma or to other US regions with different nitrogen dioxide levels.
Information wasn’t collected on other household sources of nitrogen dioxide, such as fireplaces or kerosene heaters, nor was data on participants’ allergy status, stove usage or additional medications.
As a result, further research is needed to confirm the study’s findings and to learn more about long-term outcomes.
Researchers weren’t able to increase the study’s sample size or duration because the Trump administration terminated the project in May 2025, after it was selected for three years of funding by the US Environmental Protection Agency in December 2024.
Important considerations
As Sehgal put it in his article, switching from a gas stove to an electric one will not cure asthma or serve as a replacement for medical care and other health precautions.
It should also be considered that replacing a stove may not be financially feasible for many. “Most of our study participants lived in homes that were built before 1960, and we spent an average of $7,000 per household to upgrade their electrical systems as part of the study,” wrote Sehgal, adding that an electric stove plus installation costs about $1,500 in newer US homes.
What other research shows
Gas stoves are a source of indoor air pollution, as they emit gaseous pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds such as benzene and formaldehyde, both of which can cause cancer.
A May 2024 study found that nitrogen dioxide, in particular, is produced by gas stoves in the US at short-term exposure levels higher than those deemed safe by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.
The 2024 study also estimated that, at the time, 50,000 cases of childhood asthma were linked to nitrogen dioxide emitted by gas stoves. If other gas stove pollutants were included, that number could rise to about 200,000 cases. Nitrogen dioxide has also been connected to lung cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and preterm birth.
Along with increased levels of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, the American Lung Association reports that nitrogen dioxide has been linked to cancer, autoimmune disorders, pregnancy and birth outcomes and harm to the heart, lungs, kidneys and nervous system.
The University of California, Davis, Environmental Health Science Center adds that both electric and gas cooking can release PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less) and ultrafine particles, which can cause or worsen respiratory conditions and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and immune system dysfunction.
In fact, frying foods on electric stoves produced higher particulate matter levels than on gas stoves.
However, it should be noted that gas stove pollutant levels can vary from home to home and that health effects will depend on these levels and the length of exposure. One’s lifestyle, health, age and current medical conditions can also determine health effects.
How to reduce indoor cooking air pollution
If you’re unable to switch from a gas to an electric stove, you can take other steps to reduce indoor air pollution when cooking. When outdoor air pollution is low, increase ventilation by opening windows and using your range hood’s exhaust.
If that isn’t feasible, consider purchasing an air purifier for your kitchen, which can filter out cooking particles and, if it includes an activated carbon filter, some gases, such as VOCs. Just make sure you regularly replace your air purifier’s filter so it works as intended, as it can spit pollutants back into your home if it becomes saturated.
At the end of the day, while replacing your gas stove with an electric model can reduce indoor air pollution and its health effects, it isn’t a complete solution. There are other steps you can take to improve your air quality.
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