Do you like to drive away cooking smells by lighting an incense stick? You will soon have to just open the windows. The action plan on indoor air quality, envisaged by the government, plans to ban incense and scented candles emitting substances toxic to health. “Products such as incense which emit more than 2 micrograms per m3 of benzene will be prohibited,” said the Ministry of Ecology, on the sidelines of the National Air Quality Conference in Paris on 23 and October 24.
Benzene is a very volatile aromatic solvent and classified as carcinogenic. The risks of prolonged exposure to this solvent include irritation of the skin and mucous membranes or worse, infections, anemia and leukemia. Benzene is not the only pollutant present. Particles of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde would keep him company. The first is an irritant gas and the second is another carcinogen.
What about scented candles? They would not be better since some contain acrolein, a toxic compound also present in cigarette smoke, but also particles and formaldehyde.
40% of French housing “polluted”
Candles and incense aren’t the only ones sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco, mold, the paintings, furniture, decorative items and maintenance, DIY or cleaning products may contain chemicals which can volatilize in the air and be harmful to health. The Ministry of the Environment points out that these toxic substances make them more vulnerable to respiratory system pathologies (rhinitis or bronchitis), headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, nausea …
Two figures show the extent of this “public health problem”: according to the survey by the Observatory of indoor air quality, 40% of homes analyzed have at least one indoor air quality problem. And 3.5 million French people have asthma.
