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Did you know that…
Burning candles release a variety of pollutants into indoor air, some of which are of concern to human health. 1
Synthetic fragrances used in candle scents typically contain phthalates. When candles burn, phthalates are released into the air and can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. When phthalates enter the bloodstream, they can exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms and alter hormone levels. 2
Burning scented candles also results in the release of particulate matter, which is one of the factors contributing to the development of adverse health effects and indoor air pollution. Pulmonary exposure to particles from burning candles is associated with inflammation and cytotoxicity in the lungs. 3
Scented candles are commonly used in the Persian Gulf regions because they are believed to produce relaxing effects on people's mood. A study (data collected in 2020) reveals that 65.7% of university students use scented candles (especially young women). 4 This study aimed to examine the prevalence of scented candle use, the extent of exposure, and its effects on individual health based on the prevalence of symptoms among these students.
The study concluded that health-related problems were present in 24.8% of respondents. Exposure of respondents to scented candles for more than 60 minutes showed a higher frequency of headaches, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing.
References
1-Christine Andersen, Ioulia Omelekhina, Berit Brøndum Rasmussen, Mette Nygaard Bennekov, Soren Nielsen Skov, Morten Køcks, Kai Wang, Bo Strandberg, Frédéric Mattsson, Merete Bilde, Marianne Glasius, Joakim Pagels, Aneta Wierzbicka. Emissions of soot, PAHs, ultrafine particles, NO x and other compounds important to health from the stress burning of candles in indoor air. International Journal of indoor Environment and air. July 23, 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ina.12909
2-Sundblad D. Indoor air quality‑The truth about scented candles. 2018 https://www.haywardscore.com/articles/the-truth-about-scented-candles/
3-Skovmand A, Damiao Gouveia AC, Koponen IK, Møller P, Loft S, Roursgaard M. Lung inflammation and genotoxicity in mice lungs after pulmonary exposure to candlelight combustion particles. Toxicol Lett. 2017 Jul 5; 276:31-38. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.04.015. Epub 2017 Apr 29. PMID: 28465192.
4-Noor Al Khathlan, Meaad Basuwaidan, Sarah Al Yami, Fatimah Al-Saif, Salam Al-Fareed & Khalid Ansari. Extent of exposure to scented candles and prevalence of respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms among young university students. BMC Public Health Published: 11 January 2023 Article number: 80 (2023) https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-15001-6
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