An inspection by the Consumers' Foundation yesterday discovered that many brands of fragrant candles emit harmful gases when lit, a newspaper report said yesterday.
Some of the candles release dichloromethane and toluene when lit, the Chinese-language United Evening News said.
As these chemicals can have a harmful effect on health, a number of candles have now been removed from sale by vendors pending further investigation.
With sales of fragrant candles spiking as people prepare for Valentine's Day, the Consumers' Foundation, led by convener Wu Chia-cheng (
Wu said that the chemicals emitted by candles after being lit were not subject to government regulation, but in fact they could be harmful to the health, and in sufficient concentrations could even lead to death.
On finding that nearly 40 percent of fragrant candles examined emitted dangerous chemicals, the foundation suggested to the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection that chemicals emitted by candles after they are lit should be subject to regulation in order to protect consumers.
The foundation investigation targeted department stores, boutiques and cosmetics stores, and was based on an analysis of the gases produced from one gram of candle wax being burned for 15 minutes. Of the many brands of candles found to emit harmful gases, the foundation tested the Pacifica brand, imported from Germany, and found it emitted toluene. The brand is for sale at Sogo department stores.
Floating candles sold by Watson's drug store chain were found to emit dichloromethane, which Wu said could irritate the nasal passages and lead to headaches, dizziness and numbness.
He said that while inhalation at any given time might be limited, the effects were often cumulative.
The counter manager of the Pacifica candles, Yang Shun-sheng (
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