Abstract
Many studies have investigated the particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions of burning incense on the quality of surrounding air. However, the reduction of PM and PAHs from burning incense has received little attention. In the present study, two types of incense were made in the laboratory. Five to thirty percent of nanoscale calcium carbonate (nano-CaCO3) was added to Hsing Shan and Lao Shan wood flours, which are popular incense materials. It was found that the addition of 10% nano-CaCO3 reduced PM by 7.30 mg/g and reduced particle-phase PAHs by 1.03 µg/g and benzo[a]pyreneequivalent by 0.15 µg/g. In addition, considering the total consumption of incense, weadded 10% nano-CaCO3 in incense powder. Then, it can reduce PM by 73.0 tons,particle-phase PAHs by 10.3 kg, and benzo[a]pyrene equivalent by 1.5 kg in Taiwan per year. The findings of this study may serve as a guide to producing safer and less-polluting incense. Key words: Incense, calcium carbonate, particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo[a]pyrene equivalent.
Highlights
Worshiping ancestors and gods by burning incense sticks has been one of the important traditions in many Asia regions
The findings of this study may serve as a guide to producing safer and less-polluting incense
These results clearly suggest that in terms of carcinogenic potency, the P-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission is more important than gas-phase PAHs (G-PAHs) emission for incense burning (Yang et al, 2007)
Summary
Worshiping ancestors and gods by burning incense sticks has been one of the important traditions in many Asia regions. Burning incense in an enclosed room results in a suspended particle concentration of 390 to 730 μg/m3, which is 4 to 7 times higher than the indoor air particulate standard of the Taiwan EPA (100 μg/m3) (Kao and Lung, 2000). It was found that the PM emission factor from nine types of incense ranged from 15 to 47 mg/g with an average of 33 mg/g, which is higher than that for cigarettes (10 mg/g) (Löfroth et al, 1991; Yang et al, 2007). We found that the shorter the combustion duration of a stick, the lower the total suspended particulate emission. For given incense weight burned, the greater the emission of ash is, the lower the emission of suspended particulate matter (Lin et al, 2007)
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