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Housecalls—Candle Pollution

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A Burning Problem?
Q Is the smoke from candles and incense dangerous?

A The answer is slightly hazy: It depends on how you use them. Luckily, the biggest health hazard—lead exposure from candles—was snuffed out in October, when a ban on lead wicks took effect.

Even so, burning lots of candles or incense in a small, poorly ventilated area can irritate airways or even aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma, because they emit tiny particles that can pollute indoor air. Incense smoke also contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are potentially carcinogenic.

Still, several large studies of populations in Asia that routinely burn incense have found no link between incense and cancer rates. And for most of us, moderate use in a well-ventilated area shouldn’t be a problem, says Clayton Cowl, a pulmonary physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

But your candles will burn cleaner if you keep the wicks trimmed to about a quarter inch. To reduce particles from incense, try burning it beneath the ventilation hood on your stove. Or for a smoke-free scent, put a few drops of essential oil into a diffuser or a pot of boiling water.

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