Candle Wax in the Environment: Don’t Burn your Health Away
Every day, most Americans are exposed to indoor air contaminants that can cause cancer, respiratory illness and other serious health problems. Recently, we have become more aware of global warming, ozone depletion, “drive less, save water, eat local produce, recycle. ‘Go green!’” but we have not paid enough attention to the variety of dangerous pollutants reaching us inside of our own homes and workplaces everyday.
In fact, indoor air is often two-to-five times more polluted than outdoor air and can be up to 1,000 times as dirty. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that “the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.” Moreover, because people spend an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors, the risks to health may be greater due to indoor than outdoor pollutants, which can lead to serious health problems, including cancer, respiratory ailments, fatigue and headaches. There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products, dirty insulation, products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care or hobbies. There are many risks that we might decide to avoid if we had the opportunity to make informed choices and indoor air pollution is one risk that you can do something about.
According to Diane W. Astry, Executive Director of the Health House Project, an American Lung Association education project in St. Paul, Minnesota, "Candles are fast becoming one of the most common unrecognized causes of poor indoor air quality." Paraffin, the most popular wax used in candle making is made from petroleum wastes and has many drawbacks that are ignored by the leading candle manufacturers. When burned, it can not only produce soot, which blackens walls and furniture, but it can also release known carcinogens like benzene and toluene into the air. Practically, it can be said that burning paraffin wax will produce significant amounts of the same toxins produced by burning diesel fuel, but in a smaller environment: your home. Among the many possible indoor pollutants, all the following emissions and compounds are usually found in candle wax: Acetone, Benzene, Trichlorofluoromethane, Carbon disulfide, Butanone, Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, Tetrachloroethene, Toluene, Chlorobenzene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, Xylene, Phenol, Cresol, Cyclopentene, Lead, Carbon Monoxide, Soot and Particulate Matter. As you might not be familiar with many of these names, it is important to remind that none of them are harmless and because these same toxins can also contaminate ventilation ductwork in your home, they are more likely to stay inside causing immediate and long term health effects.
Immediate effects may show up after a single exposure or repeated exposures. These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is simply eliminating the person's exposure to the source of the pollution. Symptoms of some diseases, including asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and reactant fever, may also show up soon after exposure to mentioned air pollutants. Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the time and place symptoms occur. If the symptoms fade or go away when a person is away from home, for example, an effort should be made to identify air sources that may be possible causes.
Other health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal.
While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems. Although people can react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants, it is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home even if symptoms are not noticeable.
Soy wax, a newcomer to the candle industry, provides a ready solution to these problems. Soy wax is made from soy beans and is 100% natural; it burns cleanly, producing little soot and no known pollutants. Soybeans are renewable and 100% biodegradable. The candles, made from its’ vegetable oil, are fit for your body and the environment, which also make them more animal and child -friendly than conventional candles. Other advantages from soy candles include:
-They last longer: When a soy candle is burned, a large “burn pool” is created around the wick so that nearly all of the wax is melted. Because so much more wax is available to be burned, the soy candle burn up to 50% longer than traditional candles.
-Spills are easy to clean: Unlike regular wax, soy wax spills can be easily washed off of clothes and furniture with hot soapy water.
-Scented soy candles distribute more aroma: The incorporation of soybean oil lowers the melting point of the candle, which translate into cooler burning candles and faster scent dispersion. It is from the liquid wax pool around the candle wick that the essential oils evaporate into the atmosphere but surprisingly, the ambient will capture the scent even before the candle is burned.
Beeswax, another good alternative to the conventional paraffin candles is also a healthy choice. It offer similar advantages to the soy candles. They trigger less allergies, do not produce toxins and burns longer. However read the labels before purchasing beeswax candles, as some manufactures may have added paraffin. They are returning to popularity, but also tend to be more expensive.
After switching to beeswax or soy candles it is also important to consider the wicks. Watch out for shiny metal wire inside the wicks of candles. These often contain zinc, or worse, lead, which is considerably harmful, to adults and especially children. Though U.S. manufactures are now prohibited from using lead wicks, they are nevertheless present all over the candle market due to foreign imports. Look for pure paper, cotton or hemp instead. It is safer to buy local made candles and if you or the vendor cannot tell what the wick is made of, do not buy it. After burning, keep wicks trimmed to one-quarter inch for more complete combustion and less soot. No candle is “soot-free,” because combustion causes soot. However, beeswax and soy wax do not produce sticky, black, petroleum-based soot, therefore, beware of the paraffin or alternative wax-blends, even when implied to be “natural.”
Americans burn more candles inside their homes than any other country in the world. Whether the purpose of decoration, ambience or fragrance, giving out candles has become an American costume. So next time, before giving a nice looking or pleasant smelling candle to a beloved one, make sure you making a safe choice. Because you care for your family and friends, do not give them simply “warmth” but also a healthy life.
Bibliography:
Baechler, M.C. , Sick Building Syndrome: Sources, Health Effects, Mitigation, Noyes Data Corp., 1991
Environment, Health and Safety Online. 
