Frankencense and Mur date back to thousands of years before the Three Wise Men,

the burning of witches incense may have actually had a hygienic function, like maybe repelling mosquitoes,

and when put to the test, incense fumes were able to kill off some bacteria and mold in the air,

but may also carry health risks. Although the adverse health effects of secondhand tobacco smoke

are well recognized, the impact of burning incense in the home

has received less attention. But burning incense has been found to generate like four times

the particulate matter as cigarettes, so incense maybe even works. No wonder home incense use may

have significant adverse health effects, particularly in the heart and lungs, including

childhood asthma.

No wonder since the incense smoke particle size peaked down in the danger range so ultra-fine

they can float down to the deepest parts of the lungs.

It's not just the little ash particles in the smoke, though.

There's carbon monoxide, nitric oxides, sulfur dioxide, carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons, and voluble organic compounds like benzene and formaldehyde.

The World Health Organization suggests limiting indoor formaldehyde to about 80 parts per billion,

but even with a window open during the hour or so incense is burning, formaldehyde to about 80 parts per billion, but even with a window open during the

hour or so incense is burning, formaldehyde levels exceed the safety limit.

What does this all mean in terms of disease outcomes?

Studies on rats show incense can do all sorts of terrible things, but what about people?

A study of thousands of children, followed over time, found that exposure to household

incense burning was associated with impaired lung function, reduced lung function,

growth, and increased risks of respiratory diseases and symptoms.

...