Lighting a scented candle to fill the room with the smells of gingerbread, cinnamon, and pine may get you in the Christmas spirit, but it could be bad for your health.
A study has found that lighting candles has a significant effect on indoor air quality and could be worse for your lungs than inhaling passive smoke.
This is because when candles burn, they produce a complex mixture of chemicals and particles, including toxic gases. such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
Products like scented candles and incense sticks can also produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Together, inhaling these substances can cause coughing, sneezing, and eye irritation and worsen asthma symptoms.
But in the long term, this indoor pollution can also increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis, Dr. Asit Kumar Mishra, of University College Cork, and Dr. Marie Coggins, of the University of Galway. The conversation.
Burning scented candles could cause concentrations of fine particles, which can cause lung damage when inhaled, to increase up to 15 times the limits prescribed by the World Health Organization.
He studypublished in the journal Indoor Environments, measured the air quality of 14 homes in Galway, Ireland, 24 hours before and 24 hours after making changes to improve the home’s energy efficiency.
Burning scented candles produces a complex mixture of chemicals and particles, including toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
In each home, the researchers measured the concentrations of five pollutants, including CO2 and particulate pollutants smaller than 2.5 micrometers, also known as PM2.5, which can easily enter the lungs, as well as the temperature and humidity in two rooms.
PM2.5 are soot particles found in the air, invisible to the human eye, which can enter the blood and penetrate deep into the lungs. They can be emitted by vehicle engines, burning wood, and smoke.
In each room, the scientists placed pollution measuring devices one meter from the floor and from sources of pollution and ventilation (such as windows and vents).
During this time, occupants were asked to document typical household activities and their heating and ventilation methods, such as when they cooked, opened windows, lit candles, and cleaned.
The results revealed that activities such as lighting candles, smoking and blocking wall vents can be detrimental to indoor air quality by increasing PM2.5 and CO2 levels.
PM2.5 particles are thought to cause inflammation in the lungs that can activate dormant harmful cells, leading to genetic mutations that cause cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) designated PM 2.5 as a Group 1 carcinogen in 2013, due to evidence linking the pollutant to lung cancer.
The study also revealed that if equal weights of cigarettes and incense sticks are burned, incense sticks produce approximately four times more particles than cigarettes.
In non-smoking homes, a candle can be the main source of pollution and introduce ultrafine particles into the air, while a flickering flame produces larger particles and increases black carbon emissions.
The study found that lighting scented candles in small bathrooms or bedrooms exposed occupants to a higher concentration of pollutants.
In poorly ventilated rooms, the researchers found that there were higher concentrations of pollutants such as formaldehyde, a colorless, strong-smelling chemical, at levels that can cause upper respiratory irritation.
In fact, scented candles can be even worse for our health and produce more fine particles than unscented ones.
But it’s nearly impossible to know what chemicals are released into your home when you light a scented candle, since only 10 percent of the ingredients are disclosed on the packaging, according to Dr. Mishra and Dr. Coggins.
This is because scented candle manufacturers in the US and EU are not required to disclose all substances used in their products.
Nitrogen oxides, which are also emitted by cars, are the main pollutant produced by scented candles and can damage the lungs and respiratory tract.
Even some of the organic compounds emitted by home fragrance products, such as benzene, phthalates and formaldehyde, can cause cancer, according to the American Lung Association.
In the short term, exposure to these pollutants has been shown to reduce cognitive function, while chronic exposure to incense smoke has also been linked to decreased cognitive function, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Nature.
Researchers also warn that opting for candles made with natural ingredients may not protect you from harmful effects.
Some of the naturally occurring chemicals emitted can react with ozone in ambient air and produce potentially toxic byproducts.
Lighting candles in a larger room with windows open can help reduce harmful effects, experts advised, but added that more research is needed to understand all the health risks.