Does Incense Produce More Local Pollution than Road Traffic?
Does Incense Produce More Local Pollution than Road Traffic?
By Viola Woolcott
Incense burning is a very popular aid for meditation, ceremonies, religious practises and medicinal purposes. It has been known to create air quality that is hazardous to human health, as it exposes people to high amounts of certain chemicals associated with lung cancer. Research states that burning Incense produces more local pollution than road traffic.
Of primary concern are the amounts of chemicals called ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ (PAHs). Inside a poorly ventilated temple in Taiwan, the amounts of highly carcinogenic ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ were 20 times higher than outside as well as being 45 times higher than in a smokers home. The standard safety level for air set in Taiwan exceeded the concentrations inside of the temple, as it was almost as bad as standing next to a busy crossroads filled with car fumes.
Similar research in two churches in Maastricht, Netherlands suggested that the air quality had 20 times the level of chemicals compared to a busy crossroads.
Leading researchers have expressed concern about the quality of the air in places of religious ceremonies. The concentration of the PAHs, therefore the quality of the air inside buildings is dependant on the amount of visitors that come to worship in a day, as during major ceremonies thousand of incense sticks are burnt at the same time.
PAH contain chemicals like the components of benzene (toxic liquid from petroleum. Colourless, volatile toxic liquid, distinctive odour. Manufacture of dyes, polymers, and industrial chemicals) as well as the chemical that has been used in mothballs.
Related reading:
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews (Llewellyn’s Practical Magick)
Filed under: Dare 2B Aware on December 5th, 2007
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