We need to reduce the use of fossil gas. Besides the environment, there is an even stronger incentive to do so: our health. A team of researchers from PSE Healthy Energy and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability has found high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, in household gas supplies across Europe.
Benzene showed up in every single gas sample they tested, including homes in the Netherlands. And the levels were striking. In Amsterdam, concentrations were on average more than seventy times higher than typical levels in North America. In Leeuwarden, they were nearly forty times higher.
Benzene occurs naturally in oil and gas and has no safe exposure level, according to the World Health Organization. Long-term exposure is linked to leukemia and other serious diseases.
Leaks you don’t notice
Gas leaks are more common than many people think. The researchers found that about four in ten kitchens had small leaks, even when the stove was turned off.
These are not dramatic leaks you can smell immediately. In fact, that is part of the problem. The chemicals added to the gas to give it a warning smell were often too weak to alert people. In the Netherlands, a leak could push benzene levels far above safety limits before anyone noticed anything unusual.
A hidden health burden
When the researchers combined leak data with benzene levels, a worrying picture emerged. A significant share of homes exceeded safety guidelines for exposure.
Scaled up to the national level, this suggests that hundreds of thousands of people in the Netherlands may be exposed to unhealthy levels of benzene.
In some cases, the exposure from gas leaks alone could be worse than living with a smoker, at least in terms of benzene.
More than just the kitchen
The risks are not limited to homes. The study also looked at a major pipeline leak in the UK. At its peak, benzene levels in the surrounding area rose far above safety thresholds, potentially exposing tens of thousands of people.
The takeaway is simple but unsettling: whether gas leaks from a stove or a pipeline, the health risk travels with it.
A bigger question about gas
This is the first study to show how widespread this problem may be in Europe. It adds to growing evidence that fossil gas is not only a climate issue, but also a public health concern.
Even small leaks release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, alongside toxic substances like benzene. That makes gas both a climate and a health problem at the same time.
Conclusion
Our homes are supposed to be safe spaces. But this research suggests that something as routine as using gas may carry hidden risks. The bigger question is no longer just how to fix leaks, but whether we should rethink our reliance on gas altogether.
