Lighting a Candle Could Wax Hazardous
CHICAGO—Consumers spend more than $2 billion on candles annually. However, according to a recent Chicago Tribune article, these common household items could have potential negative health effects. Paraffin wax is made out of petroleum. The article cites a South Carolina State University study that found that long-term exposure to paraffin wax can be hazardous to health. Inhaling the pollutants drifting into the air from the candle can contribute to the development of common allergies or cancer, said Ruhullah Massoudi, lead author of the study. Jeffrey May, author of the book My House is Killing Me, said he doesn’t see a problem with paraffin-wax candles on their own, but he has found that jar candles tend to release a lot of soot. “There were more than 10 million particles per cubic foot released by one jar candle,” May said. “The soot particles themselves are so small that they go directly into the bloodstream.”
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