[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

FRESH PINE… GINGERBREAD… CINNAMON – THEY’RE ALL SMELLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TIME OF YEAR AND MANY PEOPLE TURN TO SCENTED CANDLES TO GIVE THEIR HOME A COZY AND FESTIVE FEELING.

BUT – WHILE IT MIGHT SMELL GREAT… IT’S NOT GREAT FOR THE LUNGS.

A NEW STUDY OUT OF THE U-K SHOWS THE IMPACT SCENTED CANDLES AND INCENSE HAVE ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND IT TURNS OUT THEY COULD BE WORSE FOR YOU THAN JUST INHALING SMOKE.

THAT’S BECAUSE WHEN SCENTED CANDLES AND INCENSE BURN – THEY PUT A MIX OF CHEMICALS AND PARTICLES INTO THE AIR… INCLUDING TOXIC GASES LIKE CARBON MONOXIDE.

THEY CAN ALSO PRODUCE WHAT ARE KNOWN AS “VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS” – OR V-O-Cs – WHICH ARE CHEMICALS THAT CAN EASILY EVAPORATE INTO YOUR HOME’S AIR SUPPLY AND LEAD TO HEALTH EFFECTS LIKE COUGHING AND SNEEZING… OR IRRITATION OF THE EYES, NOSE, THROAT, AND LUNGS.

THOSE ARE JUST THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS.

IN THE LONG-TERM… BREATHING IN THE AIR PUT OFF BY SCENTED CANDLES AND INCENSE HAS BEEN FOUND TO INCREASE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND LUNG CANCER – AND MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE CONDITIONS LIKE ASTHMA.

TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, ONE STUDY BURNED EQUAL AMOUNTS OF CIGARETTES AND INCENSE STICKS AND FOUND INCENSE CREATED **FOUR TIMES** AS MUCH PARTICULATE MATTER AS CIGARETTES AND IN NON-SMOKING HOMES CAN BE A MAJOR SOURCE OF PARTICULATE MATTER POLLUTION.