clean air Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Scented Wax Melts May Not Be as Safe for Indoor Air as Initially Thought

The AHA! Team — Mon, 19 May 2025 05:14:36 +0000

American Chemical Society via EurekAlert! – Researchers monitored the nanoparticles produced from scented wax melts using lab equipment set up inside a model home. Traditional candles vs. Scented wax melts As traditional candles burn, they can contribute to indoor air pollution by emitting volatile compounds and smoke, which may pose inhalation risks. Scented wax melts are often marketed as safer alternatives to candles because they’re flame- and smoke-free. But in a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers describe how aroma compounds released from the melted wax can react with ozone in indoor air to form potentially toxic particles. Previous research has shown that scented wax melts emit more airborne scent compounds than traditional candles. The direct heating of the wax maximizes its surface area, thereby releasing more fragrance – such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) made of hydrocarbons – into the air. Researchers know that these chemicals can react with other compounds in the air to form nanometer-wide particles, which have been linked to negative health effects when inhaled. However, the potential for nanoparticle formation during wax-melt use was unknown. So, Nusrat Jung, Brandon Boor and colleagues set out to investigate this process using wax melts in a full-scale house model that mimicked a typical residential house. Experiments on 15 commercially available wax melts The researchers conducted experiments on 15 commercially available wax melts, both unscented and scented (e.g., lemon, papaya, tangerine and peppermint), in the model house. They first established a baseline of indoor air pollutants and then switched on the wax warmer for about 2 hours. During and after this period, the researchers continuously sampled the air a few yards (meters) away from the wax melts and found airborne nanoparticles, between 1 and 100 nanometers wide, at levels that were comparable to previously reported levels for traditional, combustion-based candles. These particles could pose an inhalation risk because they are small enough to pass through respiratory tissues and enter the bloodstream, say the researchers. Literature data Additionally, using literature data, the team calculated that a person could inhale similar amounts of nanoparticles from wax melts as from traditional candles and gas stoves. Previous studies have found exposure to high levels of nanoparticles in indoor air can be linked to health risks like decreased cognitive function and increased prevalence of childhood asthma. The experiments In the experiments, the main VOCs emitted from the wax melts were terpenes, such as monoterpenes and monoterpenoids. The researchers identified that the airborne terpenes reacted with ozone and formed sticky compounds, which aggregated into nanoscale particles. However, after warming an unscented wax melt, the team observed no terpene emissions or nanoparticle formation, which suggests that these aroma compounds contribute to nanoparticle formation. The researchers say this study challenges the perception that scented wax melts are a safer alternative to combustion-based candles; however, they emphasize that more toxicology research is needed on the risks of breathing in nanoparticles formed from wax melts. A deeper analysis by the researchers of how airborne nanoparticles form indoors from volatile scent compounds was published in 2024 in ACS ES&T Air. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation; Purdue University; and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. Journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters DOI 10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00986 To read the original article click here.

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Air Pollution Linked to Dementia in YOUNG Brains, Under 30 years of Age

AHA Publisher — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:00:59 +0000

Damon Hines via NaturalHealth365 – Giovanni Papini famously said, “Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life.” But that’s clearly not the case when there’s an abundance of air pollution, and when each subsequent breath can increase the potential risk of lung disease, fertility problems and, even dementia. Today, air pollution is widely considered a public health emergency. For example, according to the World Health Organization, more than 90% of the global population lives with toxic and unsafe air, with air pollution accounting for 8.8 million early deaths a year. If that statistic isn’t bad enough, a report from Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that burning gas, coal, and oil causes three times the number of deaths as traffic accidents. Comprehensive analysis now suggests that air pollution may damage “every organ in the body.” Plus, believe it or not, a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Research links air pollution particles in young brain’s to dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Be Careful: Chronic Exposure to Air Pollution Shown to INCREASE the Risk of Neurodegenerative Diseases According to the study, which was led by Lilian Calderon-Garciduena at the University of Montana, children and young adults living in Mexico City – a sprawling, urban center with a major air pollution issue – already show growths, plaques, and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found an alarming amount of nanoparticles in the brainstems of 186 young people, ages 11 month to 27 years – which are believed to have reached the brain after being inhaled into the lungs (first) and deposited into the bloodstream. More research is needed to determine whether or not these growths, plagues, and tangles cause the neurological diseases later in life. However, the nanoparticle pollutants were found in the substantia nigra, which is the area of the brain that is crucial to the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, the aberrant proteins were not present in the brains of age-matched people from less polluted areas. A previous study, published in The Lancet, found that roughly one in 10 cases of Alzheimer’s in urban areas could be associated with living amid heavy traffic, and while that study stopped short of showing that exposure to exhaust and air pollution causes neurodegeneration, the groundbreaking research in Mexico City illustrates the physical mechanism by which the damage is done. How to Protect Yourself From Dirty Air Critical action is needed to improve air quality, and politicians and policymakers need to begin to address how to reduce exposure to air pollution. Improving emission standards for cars, trucks, heavy trucks, and power plants could help. But is it enough? No, not by a long shot, especially in crowded megacities such as Jakarta, New Deli, Beijing, Los Angeles and Mexico City, where air pollution levels are at a rate the most people find difficult to tolerate. Still, there are several significant ways to reduce your exposure to dirty air. Consider taking the following steps: Purchase a good quality, air purifier for your home (and workplace) Eliminate the use of toxic household or personal care products Reduce indoor fireplace usage (especially if the chimney is in poor condition) Minimize your travel on heavily trafficked roads Watch out for “third hand smoke” Have lots of cleansing plants in your home like, bamboo palms and peace lilies And, be sure to open your windows, as often as possible Sources for this article include: Theguardian.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Nature Might Be Better Than Tech at Reducing Air Pollution

AHA Publisher — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 08:00:15 +0000

Ohio State University via Science Daily – Adding plants and trees to the landscapes near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution by an average of 27 percent, new research suggests. To read the original article click here.

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