Recent news articles questioning if scented candles are dangerous to indoor air quality have helped to highlight the importance of indoor air quality within our homes.<\/p>\n
However, while scented candles can contribute to indoor air pollution, the degree of their danger depends on various factors.<\/p>\n
Many scented candles are made from paraffin wax, which is derived from petroleum. When these candles burn, they release potentially harmful compounds into the air, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and toluene.<\/p>\n
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Benzene<\/strong> – Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil and is one of the elementary petrochemicals used in the production of a wide range of chemicals, including plastics, resins, synthetic fibres, rubber, dyes, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. It is an important industrial chemical, but exposure to benzene is associated with health risks.<\/p>\n Toluene<\/strong> – Toluene is a colourless, aromatic liquid with a sweet, pungent smell. It is a hydrocarbon, specifically a benzene derivative. Toluene is widely used as a solvent in the production of paints, coatings, adhesives, and varnishes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other harmful chemicals: <\/strong><\/p>\n These VOCs can contribute to indoor air pollution and may have negative health effects, particularly those with respiratory conditions, allergies, or asthma.<\/p>\n Dr Chunli Cao, CEO of Healthy Air Technology says: \u201cSome scented candles contain quite dangerous chemicals, that otherwise come with warnings when used for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis fact is quite scary. Yet we continue to purchase candles that when burnt, release these harmful chemicals into our homes. How bad is the danger to us? Well, it depends on how long, how often and how many candles you burn and what else you have in your home that is contributing to the indoor air quality.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally speaking, occasional use of scented candles is not going to cause serious respiratory symptoms. However, you should try to choose soy wax or beeswax candles with natural essential oils.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo by Lisa Fotios: https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/macro-shot-photography-of-tea-candles-1652109\/<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recent news articles questioning if scented candles are dangerous to indoor air quality have helped to highlight the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
What are the health risks of scented candles?<\/h2>\n
How dangerous are candles to indoor air pollution?<\/h2>\n
What to look for in a scented candle<\/h2>\n
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