Incense is Harmful to Health

After my last post, Forms of Devotion, where I mentioned the use of incense in rituals, I stumbled on an article from the Buddhist Channel, in which scientists reported health dangers of using incense.

"Like any cigarette smoke and wood smoke, incense smoke contains particulate matter, gas products (carbon monoxide, cardiodioxide, and sulfur dioxide) and other organic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylenes, aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) shown to harm human health. Incense burning produces over 4 times more particulate matter than cigarette smoke.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, toluene can cause headaches, confusion, and memory loss. Xylenes can cause headaches, lack of muscle coordination, dizziness, confusion, and changes in one's sense of balance, irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat; and difficulty in breathing.

Inhaling incense smoke may cause respiratory dysfunction, allergies, allergic contact dermatitis, growths and tumors, and genetic mutations.

As allergies and chemical sensitivities are on the rise, many yoga studios have looked for alternatives to incense and restrict the wearing of scent to class. Some safer alternatives include natural potpourri and fresh flowers."

Since use of incense is widespread particularly in Asia, we should spread the word about its hazards. The knowledge will hopefully lead people to abandon incense.