Science Inventory

CANDLES AND INCENSE AS POTENTIAL SOURCES OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: MARKET ANALYSIS AND LITERATURE SEARCH

Citation:

Knight, L., A. Levin, AND C. Mendenhall. CANDLES AND INCENSE AS POTENTIAL SOURCES OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: MARKET ANALYSIS AND LITERATURE SEARCH. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-01/001 (NTIS PB2001-103924), 2001.

Impact/Purpose:

Information

Description:

The report summarizes available information on candles and incense as potential sources of indoor air pollution. It covers market information and a review of the scientific literature. The market information collected focuses on production and sales data, typical uses in the U.S., and data on the sources and quantities of imported products. The estimated total sales of candles in 1999 varies between 968 million and 2.3 billion dollars, while imports were 486 million dollars. The U.S. imports and exports of incense in 1999 were 12.4 and 4.6 million dollars, respectively. The scientific literature review gathered information regarding the emission of the various contaminants generated when burning candles and incense, as well as the potential health effects associated with exposure to these contaminants. Burning candles and incense can be sources of particulate matter. Burning candles with lead-core wicks may result in indoor air concentrations of lead above EPA-recommended thresholds. Exposure to incense smoke has been linked with several illnesses, and certain brands of incense also contain chemicals suspected of causing skin irritation.

Record Details:

Record Type:DOCUMENT( PUBLISHED REPORT/ REPORT)
Product Published Date:01/23/2001
Record Last Revised:08/10/2012
OMB Category:Other
Record ID: 63438