Text Box: Smoke Is Smoke (continued from page 1) page 2 Text Box: Text Box: Well, yes. Because incense is so heavily utilized in some Asian cultures, there have been numerous scientific studies as to the composition of the smoke and its impact on human health. Studies have found associations between exposure to incense and human illnesses including cancer, asthma, and skin irritation. According to a report compiled by the US EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (right here in Cincinnati), incense smoke contains such nasty pollutants as acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, and benzene. In a laboratory test for mutagenicity using a bacterial culture as an indicator (Ames test), burning incense has been shown to produce genetic mutations as well. So, the scent of incense may be uplifting but the smoke could lay you low. What to do? The use of incense has cultural and spiritual significance to many so discontinuing incense burning may be unacceptable. Here are other steps one could take: Incense Precautions Practice “less-is-more”: Use incense sparingly to create a pleasant scent rather than a smoky ambience. Temper the incense with fresh air: Crack open a window to disperse the smoke and to decrease the concentration of harmful substances. Willing noses only: Never burn incense around a pregnant woman, young children, asthmatics, sensitive individuals, or the unwilling. Candles Instead? Candles pose a variety of human health risks including household fires, lead emissions, organic chemicals, and soot. With the increased popularity of candles as interior décor, candles have emerged as a significant household fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, during 2002, candles in U.S. homes caused an estimated 18,000 structure fires and 130 civilian deaths. Text Box: The use of lead to stiffen candle wicks has been a major health concern. The Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the manufacture and sale of candles with leaded wicks in 2003. Older candles stored in homes may still pose problems. Candle Precautions Practice “less-is-more”. Avoid burning multiple candles or candles with multiple wicks. Stay with it. Keep candles away from flammables and never ever leave them unattended. Ease off on the odor. Scented and soft candles produce much more soot. Trim the wick. A small stable flame produces less soot than a tall flickering flame. Bonus: your candle will last longer. Avoid thick wicks. Pillar candles with thick wicks tend to be “sooty” candles. Keep it steady. An unsteady air flow created by a draft may increase soot 50 fold. Glass containers holding candles can produce a disruptive air flow, unsteady burning, and increased soot. Ozone in the Home Finally, it is important to keep ozone, a primary constituent of smog, from accumulating in your home. Closed windows reduce the influx of ozone during smog alerts. But some of us are unwittingly exposing our families to an ozone source inside our homes: so-called ozone “air cleaners.” The US EPA strongly advises against the use of Ozone Generators that are sold as air cleaning appliances: ozone produced and released by these appliances may accumulate in the home to levels known to be harmful to human health even when installed and operated according to manufacturers instructions, at safer low levels of ozone, they are ineffective in reducing pollutants, dust, pollen, microbes, or most common odors in the home, (Continued on page 3)