For 60 million consumers, the observation is clear. In its issue published on September 25, the magazine of the National Consumer Institute (INC) warns of the toxicity of indoor perfumes. And particularly that of burning incense.
Poison in our homes, according to 60 million consumers
The study is based on tests carried out on 20 products. They have been divided into five categories: incense, scented candles, static diffusers, electric diffusers and air freshener sprays based on essential oils.
Objective: measure their emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microparticles, then assess the risks according to the reference values of the National Health Security Agency (ANSES).
Their results are worrying. Incenses are by far the most harmful. They emit high levels of compounds known to be carcinogenic. In detail, among the 18 most problematic VOCs, all were detected in the incenses analyzed.
For formaldehyde, a proven carcinogen, emissions range from 42 μg/m³ (for the Sattva brand) to 102 μg/m³ (for Zara Home), well beyond the thresholds recommended by ANSES (10 μg/m³ on long-term average and 50 μg/m³ over two hours).
Added to this are toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, benzene and furfural, all pollutants likely to affect our lungs, our liver or our central nervous system.
“The concentrations we measured are well above the WHO recommendations for indoor air quality” warns the magazine.
These 4 brands of incense should be banned from our homes
The four incenses tested – three in stick form and one in cone form – all received “very unsatisfactory” ratings. None pass the health safety test.
Here is the detailed ranking:
- Sattva, Indian cedar incense, obtained the lowest score, namely 4.5/20. It displays record emissions of benzene (123 μg/m³) and styrene (142 μg/m³), as well as naphthalene, a particularly toxic pollutant. Its emissions of combustion gases and fine particles far exceed ANSES recommendations;
- Bio-ethic, pine wood sticksalso gets a score of 4.5/20. It also emits microparticles and carcinogenic substances in quantities that are far too high. Its pollutants persist long after combustion, again permanently degrading the quality of indoor air;
- Zara Home, aromatic incense cones doesn’t do much better. With a rating of 5.5/20, it should also be avoided. In fact, it produces more gases linked to combustion than the two previous ones, while diffusing the same pollutants;
- The Nippon Kodoa Japanese incense is awarded a score of 6.7 out of 20. For this product too, emissions of micro and nano particles reach levels well above the thresholds set by the WHO.
The only positive point is that their emissions of irritant or allergenic substances are low, but this in no way compensates for the rest.
“Just because a product calls itself ‘natural’ doesn’t mean it’s safe.” underlines the magazine. “When burned, incense releases pollutants comparable to those of tobacco.
How to avoid indoor pollution as much as possible?
To reduce pollution in your interior, health authorities remind you of the essential actions:
- Ventilate for several minutes every day, even in winter;
- Ventilate immediately after burning incense, a candle or using a scented spray and limit their use;
- Check the proper functioning of the mechanical ventilation (VMC).
These simple actions help limit the concentration of fine particles and volatile organic compounds, responsible for numerous respiratory and allergic conditions.
And for 60 million consumers, these products should even be avoided, particularly for children, pregnant women or people with asthma. If you want to access the other results, you can access the 60 million consumers magazine here.