Kitchen Pollutants Study

We are now seeking participants in Amsterdam, NE, and Milan, IT, in January and
February of 2024! Scientists from PSE and Stanford will be collecting samples of
unburned gas from residential gas stoves and air quality samples from gas burning
kitchens. If you live in Amsterdam or Milan and use a natural gas stove to cook, you
may be eligible to participate. Sign up to participate in:

• Amsterdam January 22-February 3rd
• Milan February 5 th -February 15th

After submitting the form and verifying your eligibility to participate, you will be contacted to arrange either a 30-minute or a 5-hour home visit. At the arranged time, PSE or Stanford researchers will arrive to collect a sample from your kitchen. Those who are selected for the 30-minute sampling will receive a 25€ compensation upon the completion of the sample; those selected for the 5-hour portion of the study will receive a 100€ compensation upon completion of the sample.

Much is still unknown about the health impacts of using natural gas in our homes. The Kitchen Pollutants Study aims to improve our understanding of the relationship between indoor air quality and human health and the potential health hazards of unburned natural gas. By signing up to participate you will help us answer the question: What is in natural gas besides methane?

By signing up to participate (see above), you will help us answer the question: What is in natural gas besides methane? In the current phase of the project, researchers are focused on the chemical makeup of natural gas, including concentrations of dozens of health-damaging air pollutants. PSE Healthy Energy’s staff scientists will take direct samples from participants’ homes to quantify these pollutants. PSE has conducted similar work in North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Some of these results have already been been published in a peer-reviewed journal, which you can view here. We are currently planning on collecting samples in Amsterdam and Milan in late January and February of 2024.

Our natural gas sampling procedure involves us taking a sample of unburned gas from kitchen stoves. We will connect a hose to the stove and collect a sample of gas in a canister to send to a contracted lab for analysis. No damage or modifications will be done to the stove during this process. We are seeking residents and community groups to sample their stoves across these cities.

PSE will also be collaborating with researchers from Stanford. This portion of the study aims to discover what pollutants enter the kitchen while cooking with a gas stove. This is a more time intensive process, and involves tenting off the kitchen for around four or five hours. You will have the option to opt- in to one or both parts of the study. Those selected for the longer sampling will receive a 100€ compensation upon completion of the sample. See the registration form for your city to see if you are eligible to participate in this portion of the study.