What happens if you smoke incense

Received Jan 3; Accepted Apr This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract In Asian countries where the Buddhism and Taoism are mainstream religions, incense burning is a daily practice. Introduction Encyclopedia Britannica states that incense was employed to counteract disagreeable odors, drive away demons, manifest the presence of gods, and to gratify gods.

Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Figure 2. Major types of air pollutants in incense smoke and their toxicological effects People who are exposed to incense fumes always inhale the whole complex mixture that contains particulate matter, gas products and many organic compounds. Particulate matter PM From practical considerations of the health effects, air particulates are usually categorized according to how deep they can penetrate into the human respiratory system.

Gaseous emissions 2. Carbon monoxide CO Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, yet poisonous gas generally formed during incomplete combustion of organic substances, such as hydrocarbons, wood, incense, cigarette, and fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide SO 2 and nitrogen dioxide NO 2 Health effects of exposures to sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide can include reduced work capacity, aggravation of existing cardiovascular diseases, effects on pulmonary function, respiratory illnesses, lung irritation, and alterations in the lung's defense system [ 34 ].

Volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds VOCs are chemicals that have low boiling points and therefore evaporate easily at room temperature. Aldehydes Most materials produce aldehydes and ketones during combustion. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons The smoke emitted by incense burning has been found to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs [ 7 , 8 , 14 , 47 - 52 ]. Diethylphthalate DEP In India, diethylphthalate is used extensively in the incense stick industry as a binder of perfumes.

Effects of incense smoke on airway disease and health Like second hand smoke, pollutants emitted from incense burning in a close environment are harmful to human health. Airway dysfunction Most obviously, when incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they will cause respiratory dysfunction. Allergy and Dermatological Effects Lin et al.

Neoplasm Extracts of particulate matter from incense smoke are found to be mutagenic in the Ames Salmonella test with TA98 and activation. Conclusion Incense burning emits smoke containing particulate matter, gas products and other organic compounds and causes air pollution, airway disease and health problems. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors' contributions T—CL, GK and DSC have all been involved in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content and have given final approval of the version to be published.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. References Encyclopedia B. Kao-Hsiong, Taiwan ; Reduction of Pollutants in Tamples; pp. Weekly Report. Suspended particulate variations and mass size distributions of incense burning at Tzu Yun Yen temple in Taiwan, Taichung. Sci Total Environ. Emission characters of particulate concentrations and dry deposition studies for incense burning at a Taiwanese temple.

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According to Dr. Huffman, these chemicals were developed for research, and not for human use. However, once published in scientific literature, the methods for synthesizing these compounds became available to anyone. Like THC in marijuana, these synthetic cannabinoids turn on the cannabinoid receptors on many cells in the body, especially the brain. However, unlike THC, no human testing has been done with these synthetic forms.

Reducing or limiting incense use and your exposure to the smoke may help lower your risk. Opening windows during or after use is one way to reduce exposure. Manufacturers of Himalayan salt lamps claim they release helpful negative ions into the room and clean the air. But do they really work? From sound baths to visualization, there are countless ways to cleanse crystals. Not sure where to start? It ultimately comes down to the individual….

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This can be breathed in and trapped in the lungs, and is known to cause an inflammatory reaction. Not much research has been done on incense as a source of air pollution, although it has been linked to the development of lung cancer, childhood leukemia and brain tumors. Zhou's team therefore assessed the health hazards associated with using incense smoke in the home.

They went one step further by comparing these results for the first time with mainstream studies of cigarette smoke.

Two types of incense were tested. Both contained agarwood and sandalwood, which are among the most common ingredients used to make this product. Tests were run, among others, to gauge the effects of incense and cigarette smoke on Salmonella tester strains and on the ovary cells of Chinese hamsters.

Incense smoke was found to be mutagenic, meaning that it contains chemical properties that could potentially change genetic material such as DNA, and therefore cause mutations. It was also more cytotoxic and genotoxic than the cigarette used in the study.