Your friends will arrive in a moment; it’s time to light your scented candles or incense sticks. The smell that they will spread in the room will give the Zen atmosphere that you are looking for to accompany your meal. Your guests will appreciate without knowing that… you are intoxicating them, unintentionally, of course.
Because these “combustion deodorizers” constitute indoor air pollution, says the Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (Ademe) on Thursday. In a report, taken up by your daily newspapers, the agency recalls that when burning, these products release pollutants such as benzene or formaldehyde. Incense is, as such, more polluting than candles.
If you use it repeatedly, you expose yourself to irritation of the respiratory tract, migraines or eye problems. At high doses and over a long period, you increase the risk of developing cancer.
So, if, like more than half of the French, you are a reasonable follower of scented atmospheres, Ademe recommends favoring incense sticks over cones, avoiding the simultaneous combustion of several products and moving away from as much smoke as possible.
Children, pregnant women, asthmatic or elderly people being more vulnerable, it is preferable not to use these products in their presence. Finally, as soon as your guests have left, the room must be aired for a good quarter of an hour. Time for you to clear and put away the dishes!
