"The incense sticks in the market is a serious toxic carcinogen," said Dr.Inoka Suraweera , Consultant Community Physician, Occupation and Heath Unit of Ministry of Health.
Although no research has been done on the health effects of incense stick in Sri Lanka, it has been extensively researched in Thailand and India.
The incense sticks contain a wide range of toxic chemicals, including volatile organic compounds and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. She added that polyaromatic hydrocarbons causes high risk of cancer and exposure to this smoke can cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and even short-term asthma and allergies.
It also states that the health effects of incense sticks are based on three factors: the amount of smoke, exposure time and the amount of air in the environment when exposed to incense.
The poisoning effect is especially high in people in religious places, as well as in children and school children, who are more vulnerable due to their lack of disinfection systems.There is also a difference in the impact of incense sticks in a home and in a religious place.Religious places opens up to a wide area of ventilation, however in a home, exposure to smoke is more as the ventilation is less.
Furthermore, burning incense sticks in school classrooms and vehicles are very dangerous.
(Aruna)