Holy Smoke

Is going to church dangerous for your health?

The atmosphere in churches are sometimes laden with smoke from candles and incense. This smoke however can contain particulate material in concentrations of PM10 (or less than 10 micrometres).

These particles can penetrate very deeply into your lungs and cause a variety of heart and lung conditions.

The concentration does depend on the time that burning has taken place – so it may be safer to go to church early in the morning than late in the evening! 😳

This article was adapted from an article in New Scientist magazine on the 27th November 2004, page 8, titled ‘Holy Smoke! The Hidden Perils of Regular Church Going!’