You are here:
THE RATES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS FROM INCENSE BURNING
Citation:
Guo*, Z, J J. Jetter*, AND J. McBrian. THE RATES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS FROM INCENSE BURNING. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, 72(1):186-193, (2004).
Description:
The paper presents the results of experiments performed to determine the amounts of gas- and particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) in incense smoke. Ten brands of incense, 3 of stick, 2 of joss stick, and one each of cone, smudge bundle, rope, powder, and rock, were collected from local stores and their PAH emissions analyzed using a cylindrical, borosilicate glass chamber. Two- and three-ring PAHs were most abundant in all the samples with naphthalene alone accounting for 38% to 68% of total PAH mass. Other abundant PAHs include phenanthrene, acenaphthylene, fluoranthene, and anthracene. Most 4- and 5- ring compounds were detectable. The mean emission rate of the samples is 3266 ng/min out of a range of 458 to 13,957 ng/min, and no correlation was found between incense burn rate and emission rate. Comparison between the emission rates of total and particle-bound PAHs demonstrates that the majority of PAHs masses emitted from incense burning exists in the gas-phase.