Health risk of aerosols and toxic metals from incense and joss paper burning

Abstract

We report for the first time the distribution and hazard potential of aerosol and metals resulting from joss paper burning. Burning joss paper and incense is a traditional custom in many Oriental countries. Large amounts of air pollutants, including particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic metals and other gaseous pollutants, are released into the environment during the burning stage. Many investigations have reported on the emission of pollutants from the incense burning. However, no work has been reported until now on the analysis of the released pollutants apart from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, a micro-orifice uniform-deposit impactor and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry were, respectively, used to collect aerosols and characterize the toxic metals from joss paper burning. We studied two types of particulate matter (PM): PM 2.5 that are particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 lm and PM 10 that are particles with a diameter smaller than 10 lm. PM 2.5 are the most potentially toxic particles. Our results showed that PM 2.5 are the major component of the pollutants and that the PM 2.5 to PM 10 ratio ranged from 62 to 99%. The metals Na, Ca, Mg, Al and K were the main species in the aerosol and in the bottom ash.

Associations between household incense burning and delayed motor development among preterm infants modified by gestational age and maternal educational status

“…[12][13][14] Incense burning is a common traditional practice in both temples and households across the Asia-Pacific region; in Taiwan, about half families burned incense at home. [15][16][17][18] However, the slow and incomplete combustion process produces multiple indoor air pollutants, [19][20][21][22][23] such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and other components of particulate matter (PM), which have been linked with deleterious health outcomes. 15,17,[19][20][21]23 Moreover, incense burning exposure during late pregnancy was found to be associated with increased risk of maternal hypertensive disorder, 24 along with the possible adverse health effects of asthma and respiratory tract symptoms, 18 decreased head circumference and body weight, 16 and delayed gross motor milestone development among term singletons.…”

Estimation of the Concentrations of Some Pollutants Resulting from the Use of Arabian Bakhour and Their Effect in Patients with Asthma in the City of Baghdad

“…Through the combustion process, metallic elements are supposed to be released as a part of the expelled particles, especially if it is freed to air in the form of PM2.5 or even smaller particles and that they would become hazardous pollutants to human health [31]. The body's homeostasis is maintained by trace elements, which plays a key role in a variety of pathophysiological processes, including the development of asthma [32].…”

“…Pyrolysis and combustion produce it as a by-product. Lead is a toxic metal that has been related to human heart and kidney failure [31].…”

Emissions Characteristics of Hazardous Air Pollutants from the Incineration of Sacrificial Offerings

“…Next to CO, the emission concentration of NMHC is the highest, reaching 10.64 mg m −3 . These organic compounds may be the most important source of the "odor" in crematories [22][23][24][25]. However, in the relevant emission standards for pollutants from the incineration of sacrificial offerings, the emission concentration of NMHC is not regulated.…”