INSIDE STORY

AS EXPERTS suggest that the air inside homes and buildings can be more polluted than outside, we look at the causes. this week: Scented candles ALTHOUGH they can make your home smell delicious, fragranced candles produce carbon particles as they burn, which, if inhaled, can exacerbate problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — a collection of lung diseases including bronchitis and emphysema, which all cause a shortness of breath.

‘These particles are no less toxic than diesel particulates because they get deep into your lungs and cause irritation,’ says Jonathan Grigg, a professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London.

As they burn, scented candles also generate nitrogen dioxide — a colourless gas that’s been linked to lung cancer. The perfumes used are often derived from petroleum products and are also irritants.

Avoid lighting these candles every day and make sure your home is well-ventilated when you do use them. It is also unadvisable to let them burn in small rooms such as bathrooms, where the toxins can become trapped in the enclosed space.