Candlelit Dangers

Peter Becker/flickr

Thursday, August 20th, 2009--

No, this is not a story about the dangers of shellfish. The peril is not pesticides in the risotto or additives in the wine. It comes from the candle that sets the mood.

Researchers say burning paraffin candles, the most common type of candle found in U.S. homes, emits hazardous chemicals such as toluene and benzene. Chemists Ruhullah Massoudi and Amid Hamidi of South Carolina State University report that petroleum-based candles release chemicals that are linked to cancer, asthma, and contact dermatitis.

“An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions will not likely affect you,” says Hamidi. But he warns that “lighting them frequently in an unventilated bathroom around a tub, may cause problems.”

But if you just can’t blow out that candle, the study does offer an alternative: Massoudi and Hamidi found that candles made from bee’s wax or soybean products did not produce any detectable harmful chemicals when burned.

Another plus: soy and bee’s wax candles are produced in the U.S., while most paraffin candles come from abroad. So go ahead, be a romantic. Your natural wax candle may at least stimulate the economy.

-Erik Ortlip