Health

Romantic Candles Linked to Cancer Risk

by candice.tsuei | August 20, 2009 at 10:01 am

610 views | 22 Recommendations | 3 comments

Can a romantic candlelit dinner give you cancer? According to a study conducted by researchers at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, burning candles made from paraffin wax, the most popular and cheapest form of candle wax, can be poisonous to your health and even cause cancer.

Presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, the study shows that level of chemicals released by burning paraffin-wax candles can accumulate in an unventilated closed room. These chemicals include toluene and benzene, which are known to be carcinogenic. The study also claims that some indoor allergies may be a response to inhaling the toxic candle chemicals.

“An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions will not likely affect you,” said Amid Hamidi, the co-author of the study at South Carolina State University. “But lighting many paraffin candles every day for years or lighting them frequently in an unventilated bathroom around a tub, for example, may cause problems.”

Dr Noemi Eiser, of the British Lung Foundation, echoed the advice. She said: 'We would like to reassure people that occasional use of paraffin candles should not pose any risk to their lung health. However we would advise people to take sensible precautions when burning candles, such as opening a window to keep the room ventilated to minimise the amount of emissions breathed in.'

"Barbara Miller, a spokesperson for the National Candle Association, argues that all candles are safe. "When you burn a candle properly, you should get carbon dioxide and water vapor," she said.

Hamidi and his fellow researchers also tested candles made from beeswax and soy, and found that although these tend to be more expensive, they do not release potentially harmful indoor air pollutants. However it should be noted that this research was funded by a Department of Agriculture grant to boost farm product sales. The grant's product title is "Soybean Candles for Healthy Life and Well-Being."

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Yuliya Talmazan

at 10:09 on August 20th, 2009

Interesting find. I wonder what the candle industry has to say about it. I know people who burn dozens of candles every day, especially the scented variety. Thanks for posting.

Juliem4

at 04:34 on September 7th, 2009

If you want to burn candles you just need to go with a cleaner burning candle. We offer an all-natural wax gourmet candle that is both good for the environment and good for you. You wont find a better candle on the market today, They are made by a master candle maker who devoted to producing only the best products possible.