A pilot program in The Bronx to replace methane gas-burning stoves with electric induction dramatically improved the air quality in residents’ apartments, The City reports. The pilot program, run by WE ACT for Environmental Justice, replaced gas stoves in 20 apartments in a Watson Avenue public housing complex, and after 10 months, air quality monitoring found those with electric stoves experienced a 35% decrease in concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (which can contribute to or worsen asthma) and a 43% decrease in concentrations of carbon monoxide (which can cause flu-like symptoms, cognitive impacts, and even death).

Residents like the new stoves for multiple reasons. “It cooks better and just for the safety of my daughter, that’s why I like the stove,” Shavon Marino said. “As she gets older, I think this stove would be a great teaching tool for my daughter.”

The study and pilot program’s results also highlight the need to electrify buildings’ less-visible appliances, like furnaces and water heaters, as well, Misbath Daouda, a Columbia Ph.D. candidate who has authored previous studies on the health dangers of indoor gas appliances, told The City. “The transition would need to not only focus on gas stoves as a single appliance, but look at other systems that need to be replaced or improved in those homes to improve air quality and also meet carbon emission reduction goals — and that would include heating systems,” Daouda said. (The City)