Dispensary Corner 28 Aug 15
August 28, 2015
Serenity now?
Incense may need to come with
a health warning, after a study
published in the Environmental
Chemistry Letters journal
evaluated the health risks
associated with burning incense
indoors.
Researchers from the South
China University of Technology
tested incense containing
sandalwood and agarwood as
well as cigarette smoke, checking
the effects on the ovary cells of
Chinese hamsters.
Incense smoke was found to be
mutagenic, and was also more
cytotoxic and genotoxic than
cigarette smoke - meaning the
incense was potentially more
likely to be carcinogenic.
“Clearly, there needs to
be greater awareness and
management of the health risks
associated with burning incense
in indoor environments,” said lead
researcher Rong Zhou.
PS: lock up your hamsters!
House dust contains a rich
variety of microflora, according
to a US study which found an
average of 9,000 different species
of microbes in a normal home.
Researchers from the University
of Colorado gathered dust from
more than 1,200 households
across the USA and analysed
the contents, with the research
published in the Proceedings of
the Royal Society.
The scientists found, fairly
unsurprisingly, that the types
of bacteria and fungi varied,
depending on where the home
was located, who lived there and
if pets were present, according to
a BBC report.
The “Wild Life of our Homes”
study primarily focused on the
dust found on the ledges above
doors, overlooked when cleaning.
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