Burning Incense Releases Cancer-Causing Chemicals

http://drbenkim.com/burning-incense-cancer.html


Burning Incense Releases Cancer-Causing Chemicals


By Dr. Ben Kim on January 24, 2007 Health Warnings

News articles on newscientist.com and *********** indicate that burning incense can expose people to dangerous levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

Both articles are based on a study that was published in a September, 2001 issue of the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Researchers collected air samples from inside and outside of a temple in Taiwan, and found that the air inside the temple was highly concentrated with a group of cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

One PAH called benzopyrene, which is linked to lung cancer in smokers, was found to be 45 times more concentrated in the temple than in homes where people smoked cigarettes.

The researchers also looked at total suspended particles (TSPs), a measurement that reflects the total weight of small and potentially harmful airborne pollutants that all of us are exposed to on an ongoing basis. They found that TSPs inside the temple was three times higher than it was at a local traffic intersection, and 11 times higher than just outside the temple. Put another way, they found that a steady volume of incense burning can create more harmful air pollution than that found at a typical traffic intersection.

Although the concentration of PAHs found in the temple in this study is almost certainly higher than it would be in a typical residence, this study serves as a good reminder about the potential dangers of burning incense and other scented products like candles in areas that are not well ventilated.

This study also serves as a good reminder to allow fresh air to circulate throughout one's living space. In the summer, windows should be kept open whenever possible. In the winter, if various factors make it difficult to keep one's windows open just a crack, it can be beneficial to one's health to simply open a few windows for a minute or two each day to allow some fresh air to enter the residence. All of this assumes that one's neighborhood is relatively pollution-free; if the residence in question is in a heavily polluted area, it may be best to look at investing in a high quality indoor air purifier.

Original study published in: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (vol 67, p 332)

 

I get clean burning incense from an herbal company that I'm pretty sure isnt like that.

 

Of course theres going to be concentrated levels of the chemicals in a temple where the monks are burning incense all day everyday!
Its completly different for people who burn a stick of it occasionally. Plus that study was done YEARS ago, I remember seeing it on the news.

 

I find myself agreeing with everyone. LOL

If incense has these things in it (mentioned in first post/article), that sure is bad!

Yet I agree its probably an old article or old test, and current (or natural updated) incense is more often good or decent quality. If its not, don't buy it! These days, you can buy quality incense made of organic materials. If its real cheap, its probably junk!

Read an article where candles that contain real esspential oils were scientifically tested to heal people of various sickness. Not the junk candles, but the ones with pure essential oils, when they burned em, they healed the sick.

So I wonder "which" of these incenses they tested, cuz I find it hard to believe monks (and monkess) got sick in the past too, when it was organic materials used. After all, people use to go to them back then, for healing. So IMHO ... and this is just me.... I think temples that use the good stuff, are safe; those that don't, not safe. Hopefully many who are monks/monkess now, are also healers, so would use the right stuff.

 

I have a ritual of lighting an incense stick every morning when I wake up. There is always a window open though as I have a thing about smoke, cigarette, incense whatever. The rest of the time I tend to use essential oil blends in a burner. The next problem of course is paraffin based tea lights as I recently read a report on how toxic they can be. I understand that someone has come up with non-toxic candles which are soya based. Has anybody used these?