According
to a study by researchers at UNC Chapel Hill, the smoke from burning incense
can cause several lung-related disorders. By placing human lungs in the same
room as burning incense for three hours and then incubating them for 24 hours,
scientists discovered that the smoke emitted from the smelling stick caused a
lot of harm to the lungs, including asthma and other respiratory problems
similar to those one may receive from cigarette smoke exposure. These results
demonstrate the heavy air pollution burning incense releases into the
environment- including hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide- as well as the
danger it imposes on humans. This is especially true for citizens of the United
Arab Emirates, where incenses are burned weekly in about 94% of homes (UAE
citizens spend an average of 90% of their time indoors).
Some
possible solutions to this air pollution issue include implementing better
ventilation when burning incense, such as opening windows and doors to create
air flow; using alternatives to charcoal; lessen the amount of incense burnt;
and even developing a new form of environmentally-safe smelling sticks. Incense
pollution prevention may be blocked, however, by the culture and tradition
involved in the act of burning incense. As the burning of incense is a
long-standing cultural practice utilized by the UAE people to perfume clothing
and air and to get rid of cooking smells, using less or different incense may
not be welcomed. It could also take a long time to educate all of the people of
the risks of burning incense and to convince them to change their practices. I
believe that laws should be put into practice in the UAE in order to force the
people to stop harming the air and killing people from the pollution, as well
as educational announcements and informational guides given out or posted in
order to inform the public of the hazards and teach them safe ways to continue
their tradition. Air pollution is an important safety risk to everyone as we
all need to breathe. Above any other necessity humans need, air is the most
critical.
This is an interesting problem that you have brought up. It is a little surprising that incense can cause lung disorders. Incense has been burned for hundreds of years. Preventing air pollution from incense or lung disorders seems to a bit of a challenge in my eyes. Being that incense has been and is used by people who practice certain religions where they burn incense, will most likely reject the idea of improving upon incense or not using them at all. This is a complicated issue and trying to change something such as this will bring up a lot of conflict. The idea of improving upon incense or doing away with them because they can cause health issues should be taken into light. Laws can be put in place but, you will need an agreement of everyone that this will effect, to stop using incense or improving upon them.
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ReplyDeleteThe more research that I do through these blogs the more I find hidden dangers and pollutants; I never considered the health or environmental risks burning incense causes. At our church we only burn incense at special masses; usually holy days of obligation, and usually it is a specific mass and all other masses celebrating that holiday are incense free. Usually my family and I choose the most convenient mass to go to but now we might choose to go to the incense free one. I wonder if because of the health risks legislation should be passed limiting the amount of incense being burnt, or at least passing guidelines for ventilating the area. I think another step the government could do is to give a grant to researchers to find an environment and health friendly alternative. I will defiantly think twice before going to a mass with incense and spread the message of the dangers. I think by spreading the word and through education of the public the pollution and health damages brought about by burning incense can be dramatically reduced.