A peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Research Letters offers the first U.S. data comparing working conditions in commercial kitchens that use gas or propane with those that run entirely on electricity. The researchers monitored 27 kitchens across California, New York, and Pennsylvania, measuring temperatures and pollutant concentrations during and after workdays. They found that fossil-fueled equipment produced dangerous levels of heat and air pollution despite commercial ventilation, while all-electric kitchens did not.
More than three-quarters of U.S. restaurants burn gas, putting an estimated 15.7 million food service workers at risk. Most gas- and propane-fired kitchens reached temperatures above 90°F, exceeding OSHA's stalled proposal of an 80°F indoor heat threshold. Nitrogen dioxide, a lung irritant linked to asthma, surpassed EPA and WHO safety limits in 70% of fossil-fueled kitchens. Carbon monoxide and benzene, a carcinogen, also appeared at unsafe levels in some kitchens.
Notably, about a third of fossil-fueled kitchens produced unhealthy NO2 levels even outside business hours. The culprit was pilot lights, which keep small flames burning overnight while ventilation is off. The study's authors note that in mixed-use buildings, this pollution may migrate into nearby apartments. Electric kitchens, by contrast, stayed below safety guidelines for all measured pollutants.
The study's co-authors include Christopher Galarza, a chef who says gas kitchens made him vomit and feel like he was dying, while an all-electric kitchen was a revelation. Advocacy groups are calling for policies and incentives to help restaurants electrify. California already requires new commercial kitchens to be electric-ready and offers rebates for efficient electric equipment, and several states have adopted indoor heat protections for workers.