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Are Paraffin Candles safe?

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Are Paraffin Candles safe?

The debates about the safety of paraffin candles and tea lights have been going on for a very long time. For those that might not know, paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum, a non-renewable resource. A number of institutions have conducted research concerning the safety of paraffin and a number of them have concluded that paraffin isn’t safe for one’s health. For this reason, a number of consumers around the world have opted for safer options like paraffin free tea lights and natural wax candles.


In 2009, a study was conducted by the South Carolina State University concerning the effects of inhaling the fumes produced by paraffin wax. The study found that the fumes released by paraffin candles and tea lights can be linked some forms of cancer, birth defects and respiratory ailments like asthma. This health issues become worse when the paraffin candles are used in enclosed and unventilated spaces.


The Procedure Followed In Making Them

After crude oil is refined, paraffin is then scraped out before it undergoes the following processing procedures. It is bleached by adding dioxin and then texturized with acrolyn (a known carcinogen). This is followed by mixing it with the animal-based stearic acid, which is a byproduct of meatpacking slaughterhouses, which hardens it before being molded into natural wax candles. When paraffin candles are in use, they produce a black soot of toxic fumes which are chemically similar to diesel fumes, which contains dangerous substances like benzene, toluene, naphthalene, tri-decane, tetra-decane, penta-decane and hexadecane. 


The problem with most manufacturers is that they do not list the ingredients they used in producing the candles which leaves many consumers without the necessary information that is vital for their health. On a positive note, many consumers have made the switch to palm wax, beeswax paraffin free tea lights and natural wax candles.On the other hand, institutions like restaurants, churches and temples still use paraffin candles or disposable paraffin oil cartridge lamps. They mainly do this because paraffin lamps are cheaper to buy.


Paraffin candles have been cheaper than the natural alternatives for quite some time which has discouraged many people from buying paraffin free tea lights. However, this is about to change because a number of manufacturers and companies have been able to fine-tune their production and offer lower prices for their natural candles and tea lights. Many of them even offer discounts to large purchases like churches and restaurants.


Conclusion

A lot has been mentioned about the health risks involved in using natural wax candles and hopefully it has been helpful. It is also important to share this information with others to create a healthier society.

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