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Emissions of soot, PAHs, ultrafine particles, NO x, and other health relevant compounds from stressed burning of candles in indoor air
Author(s) -
Andersen Christina,
Omelekhina Yuliya,
Rasmussen Berit Brøndum,
Bennekov Mette,
Skov Søren Nielsen,
Køcks Morten,
Wang Kai,
Strandberg Bo,
Mattsson Fredrik,
Bilde Merete,
Glasius Marianne,
Pagels Joakim,
Wierzbicka Aneta
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12909
Subject(s) - candle , soot , wax , environmental chemistry , combustion , formaldehyde , carbon black , particulates , ultrafine particle , aerosol , pollutant , paraffin wax , environmental science , air pollution , particle (ecology) , carbon fibers , chemistry , waste management , materials science , composite material , organic chemistry , natural rubber , oceanography , composite number , geology , engineering
Burning candles release a variety of pollutants to indoor air, some of which are of concern for human health. We studied emissions of particles and gases from the stressed burning of five types of pillar candles with different wax and wick compositions. The stressed burning was introduced by controlled fluctuating air velocities in a 21.6 m 3 laboratory chamber. The aerosol physicochemical properties were measured both in well‐mixed chamber air and directly above the candle flame with online and offline techniques. All candles showed different emission profiles over time with high repeatability among replicates. The particle mass emissions from stressed burning for all candle types were dominated by soot (black carbon; BC). The wax and wick composition strongly influenced emissions of BC, PM 2.5 , and particle‐phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and to lower degree ultrafine particles, inorganic and organic carbon fraction of PM, but did not influence NO x , formaldehyde, and gas‐phase PAHs. Measurements directly above the flame showed empirical evidence of short‐lived strong emission peaks of soot particles. The results show the importance of including the entire burn time of candles in exposure assessments, as their emissions can vary strongly over time. Preventing stressed burning of candles can reduce exposure to pollutants in indoor air.