Anyone lighting candles at home has been warned (Image: Getty)
Lighting a candle even for a short time could affect your brain function, a new study has warned. Scented candles are wildly popular in the UK, with many of us lighting one for the bath, or just to relax on the settee on a dark and drizzly evening. But now, a new study, which has looked at the impact of burning candle smoke on people’s health, has found that even using a candle at home for a short time can affect all sorts of emotional and cognitive functions.
A study published in February by the University of Birmingham found that even ‘brief exposure’ to candle smoke can ‘make everyday tasks challenging.’ Researchers exposed study participants to either high levels of air – using candle smoke – or clean air, testing cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure. The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
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Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of candle smoke may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Publishing their findings in Nature Communications, researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester revealed that selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution – regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.
The study is the first to look at inhalation routes of particulate matter air pollution – the same kind of pollution seen in many towns and cities caused by vehicles.
Scented candles can cause due to key ingredients derived from petrol – parrafin wax, which when burned release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), just like cars.
These compounds are: Benzene, which is a natural constituent of crude oil and is one of the elementary petrochemicals used in the production of a wide range of chemicals, and Toluene, which is a colourless, aromatic liquid with a sweet, pungent smell. It is a hydrocarbon, specifically a benzene derivative. Toluene is often used as a solvent in the production of paints, coatings, adhesives, and varnishes.
To avoid these additives, it’s best to opt for beeswax or natural essential oil candles instead, with non-toxic fragrances, as well as ventilating the space properly.
The study’s authors said: “Globally, air is the leading risk factor to human health, increasing premature mortality. The detrimental impacts of poor air quality on cardiovascular and respiratory systems are widely acknowledged, with links to neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.”
Co-author Dr Thomas Faherty, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “Our study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities, such as doing the weekly supermarket shop.”
Co-author Professor Francis Pope, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “Poor air quality undermines intellectual development and worker productivity, with significant societal and economic implications in a high-tech world reliant on cognitive excellence.
“Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas.”