Scented Wax Melts Create Particles in Indoor Air That ‘You Shouldn’t Be Breathing In’: 'Comparable to Diesel Engines'

Mar. 15, 2025

(Left:) Stock image of melted scented candle wax; (Right:) Exhaust from an engine.Photo:Getty (2)

Getty (2)

“If you’re using cleaning and aromatherapy products full of chemically manufactured scents to recreate a forest in your home, you’re actually creating a tremendous amount of indoor air pollution that you shouldn’t be breathing in,” said study co-author, Nusrat Jung, an Assistant Professor in Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, in astatement.

Stock image of scented wax melts.Getty

Getty

The study was conducted in Purdue’s “tiny house lab,” calledzEDGE(zero-Energy Design Guidance for Engineers). It’s equipped with sensors that can measure how everyday activities impact indoor air quality.

Researchers note that the presence of the particles doesn’t necessarily mean they’re harmful, but there should be “further research on the toxicological properties of the newly formed nanoparticles to better understand their environmental health implications.”

Jung adds that since these “actively alter indoor air chemistry” they “could have significant health implications … These processes should be considered in the design and operation of buildings and their HVAC systems to reduce our exposures.”

Dr. Margery E. Hoffman, Purdue’s Associate Professor in Civil Engineering, Brandon Boor, who also co-authored the study, added: “Indoor air qualityis often overlooked in the design and management of the buildings we live and work in, yet it has a direct impact on our health every day."

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source: people.com