title: Incense, sparklers and cigarettes are significant contributors to indoor benzene and particle levels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increased use of incense, magic candles and other flameless products often produces indoor pollutants that may represent a health risk for humans. Today, in fact, incense and air fresheners are used inside homes as well as in public places including stores, shopping malls and places of worship. As a source of indoor contamination, the impact of smoke, incense and sparklers on human health cannot be ignored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present work, we report the results of an emission study regarding particles (PM10 and particle number concentration, PNC) and benzene, produced by various incense sticks and sparklers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained for benzene, PM10 and PNC, showed a strong negative influence on air quality when these products were used indoors. Various incense sticks gave completely different benzene results: from a small increase of the benzene concentration in the air, just slightly above the background levels of ambient air, to very high concentrations, of more than 200 µg/m of benzene in the test room after the incense sticks had been tested.
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Tirler
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Settimo
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012906:Smoke; D062789:Tobacco Products
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012906:Smoke; D001554:Benzene