Aroma compounds released from the scented wax melts can react with ozone in indoor air to form potentially toxic particles, researchers have warned. The study challenges the perception that scented wax melts are a safer alternative to combustion-based candles.
Previous research has shown that scented wax melts emit more airborne scent compounds than traditional candles.
The direct heating of the wax maximises its surface area, thereby releasing more fragrance - such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) made of hydrocarbons - into the air, according to the study published in the ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
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 from Purdue University in the US set out to investigate this process using wax melts in a full-scale house model that mimicked a typical residential house.
The researchers conducted experiments on 15 commercially available wax melts, both unscented and scented (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. (IANS)
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