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Many people love having candles on hand around the house. Scented ones make the air smell wonderful and certain types, such as citronella ones, help to keep the bugs away. People often use them to add a little warm ambiance to a room or they keep a few close by in case the power goes out.
Some people love candles so much they burn through several a week and place them everywhere, they just can’t get enough. Chances are you have a few candles somewhere in your house and if they are scented you may want to think twice before lighting them up.
A recent study has found that many scented candles contain dangerous ingredients which are harmful to human health. Professor Alastair Lewis of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of York carried out the study which uncovered the disturbing results.
His research suggests that a common ingredient used to give candles their scent, called limonene, changes into formaldehyde when burned. The potential for danger here is great, because Formaldehyde is highly toxic and the levels at which it was found to be present were alarming.
Limonene is most often found in citrus-scented candles where it’s used to give them a lemony lime type of smell. You’ve probably smelled limonene before because it’s commonly used to scent air fresheners and cleaning products and it’s even safe enough to flavor food with.
However, the problem is that when its molecular structure is altered, it can easily turn into formaldehyde. This occurs when limonene is released into the air, where it comes into contact and reacts with the naturally occurring ozone.
This contact is what alters the limonene molecules and changes them into Formaldehyde. Because modern homes are tightly sealed up, there is little to no air circulation, and the formaldehyde gets trapped indoors.
Over time it lingers in the air and builds up, causing long term harm and damage to any people who may happen to breathe it in. The effects of formaldehyde on human health are toxic. It’s thought to be carcinogenic and is known to be corrosive, poisonous, and combustible.
Exposure to it can damage our respiratory tracts and cause sore throats, nosebleeds, coughs, and a burning, stinging sensation in eyes. It’s best to avoid it all together, and that means not burning any scented candles that may contain limonene.
If you absolutely must or feel the need to burn scented candles, open a window and get some air flow going. That greatly reduces the build up of formaldehyde in the room and cuts down on the amount you may end up breathing in.
Hopefully candle makers will change the way they make scented candles now that this study is out and people are gaining awareness of it. Please spread the word and pass this along to friends and family so that they also know how bad these candles can be.
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