It is well known that poor indoor air quality is due to gas and particle emissions inside the home. In addition, ventilation that would dilute the pollutants with clean outside air is often inadequate causing the pollutants to concentrate even further. Household candles contribute to indoor air pollution as they emit particulate matter while they burn. Inhaling particulate matter can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other health problems. The particulate size is a concern as the detrimental health effects of particulates are more severe as the size of the particle decreases. In the present study, particulate matter emitted by various candles was coarsely size selected using a multi-stage impactor. Gravimetric analysis of the particulates collected in each size range allowed measurement of the size distribution of the particles formed in the burning process. Candles commonly also contain various metals including lead in their wicks which may be volatilized when the candle is burned. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of several metals of interest in the collected particulates. By correlating the metal concentrations with the size range of the particles we were able to see if the metal concentration changed as the particle size range was varied.

Size characterization and metals analysis of particulate matter generated by candle burning

249th National Meeting (2015)

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