Jump to content

Limonene >>> Formaldehyde >>> Cancer ?


Recommended Posts

According to the following article, burning the limonene in scented candles creates carcinogen formaldehyde:

 

https://www.ratemds.com/blog/how-cancer-causing-formaldehyde-is-released-when-you-burn-scented-candles/

 

....  not to speak of all the other stuff - including microscopic particles of soot that could hardly be better designed to screw up yer lungs - no doubt present in the smoke.

 

Rodney.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to the following article, burning the limonene in scented candles creates carcinogen formaldehyde:

 

https://www.ratemds.com/blog/how-cancer-causing-formaldehyde-is-released-when-you-burn-scented-candles/

 

.... not to speak of all the other stuff - including microscopic particles of soot that could hardly be better designed to screw up yer lungs - no doubt present in the smoke.

 

Rodney.

Yikes. Thanks for that -- I do burn a lot of candles that are sometimes scented. Excuse the off-topic, but what's your take on incense? I burn a lot of nag champa, and really don't want to give it up. But it's probably poison to my lungs, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since you ask, Sthira, I have no information about incense.

 

But it has always been my *impression* that combustion of almost anything produces so many different chemical constituents that it almost always (apart from burning hydrogen, presumably) produces a few carcinogens.   And small soot particles - the smaller the better - are supposed to be especially good at getting into the lining of your lungs and staying there. 

 

If you wanted to pursue the matter further you might find stuff if you googled something like:  'incense lung function'.  I generally avoid smoked food products for a similar reason, but in that case for gastro-intestinal cancers.

 

Rodney.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Sthira,

 

So you would be no incense incensed?

 

 

Incense use and respiratory tract carcinomas: a prospective cohort study.
Friborg JT, Yuan JM, Wang R, Koh WP, Lee HP, Yu MC.
Cancer. 2008 Oct 1;113(7):1676-84. doi: 10.1002/cncr.23788.
PMID: 18726993 Free PMC Article
 
Abstract
 
BACKGROUND:
 
Incense use is an integral part of daily life in large parts of Asia. The burning of incense is a powerful producer of particulate matter and the smoke contains a multitude of well-characterized carcinogens. However, to the authors' knowledge, no convincing association has been reported between exposure to incense smoke and the development of cancer. Therefore, the relation between incense use and the risk of respiratory tract carcinomas was analyzed in a prospective cohort study.
 
METHODS:
 
Between 1993 and 1998, a population-based cohort of 61,320 Singapore Chinese who were free of cancer and ages 45 to 74 years completed a comprehensive interview regarding living conditions and dietary and lifestyle factors. Through linkage to population-based registries, the cohort was followed through 2005 and cancer occurrence determined. The relative risk for these cancers associated with incense use was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model.
 
RESULTS:
 
A total of 325 upper respiratory tract (UPT) carcinomas and 821 lung carcinomas were observed during follow-up. Incense use was associated with a significantly increased risk of UPT carcinomas other than nasopharyngeal, whereas no overall effect was observed on lung cancer. The duration and intensity of incense use were associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinomas in the entire respiratory tract (P for trend = .004), whereas there was no significant association noted between incense use and nonsquamous cell carcinomas. The relative risk of squamous cell carcinomas among long-term incense users was 1.8 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2-2.6; P = .004) in the entire respiratory tract.
 
CONCLUSIONS:
 
The results of the current study indicate that long-term use of incense is associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the respiratory tract.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't get choked up about it.  I imagine incense is not as frequently encountered as hot weather and laughter.

 

Trigger factors in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a single-centre cross-sectional study.
See KC, Phua J, Lim TK.
Singapore Med J. 2015 Nov 25. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2015178. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 26768322 Free Article
 
Abstract
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
The presence of trigger factors may help distinguish asthma from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Knowing and avoiding trigger factors for both asthma and COPD can facilitate the design of comprehensive management programmes that can aid disease control. This study aimed to describe the relative frequency and range of various trigger factors in asthma and COPD.
 
METHODS:
 
We conducted a telephone-based survey involving asthma and COPD patients on follow-up at a university hospital in Singapore.
 
RESULTS:
 
A total of 779 patients with asthma and 129 patients with COPD participated in this study. Among these patients, 93.8% of those with asthma and 42.6% of those with COPD had trigger factors (p < 0.001). The median number of trigger factors was greater among patients with asthma than among those with COPD (3 vs. 0, p < 0.001). The following trigger factors were found to be significantly more prevalent among patients with asthma than among those with COPD: tobacco smoke, alcoholic drinks, upper respiratory tract infection, incense smoke, perfume, laughter, dusty environment, air-conditioning, heavy rain, heavy traffic fumes, citrus fruit, gastro-oesophageal reflux, household pets, flowers/pollen, medications and psychological triggers. Trigger factors that were not previously described, such as bathing, tiredness, insufficient sleep, crowded places and overeating, were also reported.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
Trigger factors, although common among both asthma and COPD patients, were more common among asthma patients. Knowledge of these trigger factors may be useful in distinguishing the two diseases and in optimising disease management.
 
KEYWORDS:
 
asthma; chronic disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; disease management; precipitating factors
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In addition to asthma trigger factors, these may be steps along a night with her in Singapore: tobacco smoke, alcoholic drinks, upper respiratory tract infection, incense smoke, perfume, laughter, dusty environment, air-conditioning, heavy rain, heavy traffic fumes, citrus fruit, gastro-oesophageal reflux, household pets, flowers/pollen, medications and psychological triggers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest Maddie

All fragrances in the home are pollutants.  Even the smell of food.  :)  Avoid fragrances, especially those you combust, when you can and cook with the fan on.  This is irrespective of whether you have asthma.  These are the biggest sources of indoor air pollution, not things like drying paint, despite what some people push.

 

I know, I know--I should link to the relevant studies.  I don't have them at my fingertips, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"However, some particle fractions, especially the particles generated from food cooking, from the skin and clothes of occupants, and from interior textiles, have a different chemical composition with limited direct evidence on their toxicity."

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26961383

http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/956/art%253A10.1186%252Fs12940-016-0101-8.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fehjournal.biomedcentral.com%2Farticle%2F10.1186%2Fs12940-016-0101-8&token2=exp=1457998524~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F956%2Fart%25253A10.1186%25252Fs12940-016-0101-8.pdf*~hmac=0c04e057fba1de99eae7ff9b08d8a26e6812ef63c06c81a15dd05c7ca387da44

PMID: 26961383 [PubMed - in process] Free full text

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...