Do you have a source for that? Because as far as I can see, asthma isn't _that_ less common in countries where gas stoves are barely used, such as germany. Still has like 60-70% of the asthma cases the US has. There's also a ton of other pollutants the US hasn't yet forbidden, but the EU has, which could also explain a lot of the difference in rates.
Don't get me wrong, it's certainly a good idea to get rid of gas stoves. I just think it's a bit much to declare them the primary cause of asthma.
'Replacing gas stove can help asthmatics as much as some drugs, US experts find'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/24/replacin...
That makes sense but the unverified claim is that gas stoves are the main contributors to asthma.
Does the area immediately above where the gas stove was have an exhaust fan that vents to atmosphere?
I would have assumed a properly specced exhaust fan would capture and remove combustion products from a gas stove?
On the other hand, when water turns into steam at standard atmospheric pressure, it expands in volume by about 1,700 times.
Whereas the gas in your stove is already a vapour, mostly methane, turning in to mostly water vapour and carbon dioxide. So the expansion ratio isn’t going to be anywhere near as high as that.
I’d say you’re still right.
Still, I wonder to what extent an exhaust fan does help.
If the exhaust fan can vent x cubic feet per minute and the room is y cubic feet in volume then it takes z minutes to full ventilate the room, etc etc.
You’d sure notice if the air in your kitchen was swooshing around at 671 miles per hour.
I suspect a sufficient ventilation would require something more like a lab fume hood that can pull a negative pressure on the area around the stove.
And from what I have seen, a good number of exhaust fans are straight up fake and just ventilate back in to the room rather than ducted outside.
Culinary Cargo Cult.