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Candle Soot & Air Quality |
 Something You Should Know
Did you know that candle soot is becoming an emerging indoor
air quality problem? The major culprits are scented and aromatherapy
candles. Experts report that computers have been ruined. In
some instances, there is so much soot generated from burning candles
that it is causing severe damage to many homes and furnishings.
Homeowners are mistakenly suing their builders and
HVAC companies for improper installation of the systems.
Unfortunately, soot from candles can also be toxic. Breathing
soot is not recommended. The soot particles can travel deep
into
the lungs. Those with asthma, lung or heart disease are particularly
vulnerable. To make matters worse, many scented and aromatherapy
candles are made with paraffin and synthetic fragrance oils.
Paraffin is a petroleum product - a byproduct of oil refining -
and most
fragrance oils used for candle making are petroleum-based synthetics.
The soot from these materials can contain carcinogens, neurotoxins
and reproductive toxins. Testing and air chamber analysis by
the Environmental Protection Agency has found the following compounds
in a random group of over 30 candles tested.
- Acetone
- Benzene
- Trichlorofluoromethane
- Carbon disulfide
- 2- Butanone
- 1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane
- Carbon tetrachloride
- Carbon Black (soot) Particulate Matter <2.5
microns
- Trichloroethene
- Tetrachloroethene
- Toluene
- Chlorobenzene
- Ethylbenzene
- Styrene
- Xylene
- Phenol
- Cresol
- Cyclopentene
- Lead
- Lead (Inorganic Airborne Contaminant)
Besides these chemicals, Kaiss K. Al-Ahmady, Ph.D., P.E., of Indoor
Air Solutions, Inc. of Tampa Florida, found in testing of over
20 candles, that 30 percent of the metal wire wicks used in some
candles can contain lead.
The reason scented and aromatherapy candles
are the usual culprits are because the fragrance oils are unsaturated
hydrocarbons and
they soften the wax so that it doesn't burn cleanly. Container
candles are even worse since the oxygen necessary for a clean
burn doesn't reach the flame properly.
Buy instead candles made without petroleum, with wire-free wicks.
Diffusers are a safer way to practice aromatherapy. Soot-free candles are available in our showroom at 4770 Hempstead Station, Kettering,
Ohio.
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