Burning Incense

Regular indoor incense.

55Moderate burden · out of 100

Cleaner swapVentilate; essential-oil diffusion sparingly

How this score is built

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	5/10	In a prospective cohort of 61,320 Singapore Chinese followed to 2005, incense use was associated with a significantly increased risk of upper respiratory tract carcinomas other than nasopharyngeal, and duration and intensity of use with squamous cell carcinomas of the respiratory tract (P for trend = .004); no overall effect was seen on lung cancer. Incense use and respiratory tract carcinomas: a prospective cohort study · Cancer 2008 DOI 10.1002/cncr.23788 · PMID 18726993 · Abstract · read 2026-10-06
Everyday exposure	5/10	unsourced input
Persistence	2/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

Incense smoke can produce more fine particulate than cigarettes in a closed room. Reserve it for well-ventilated spaces.

Evidence strength: moderate

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