Burning substandard incense containing lead-based pigments risks raising blood lead levels, doctors warned.
Paying respects to ancestors and praying for blessing at temples are traditional Lunar New Year activities, but using incense that is not domestically certified or not sourced from a reputable supplier significantly increases the risk of lead poisoning, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, said Yang Chen-chang (楊振昌), director of occupational medicine and clinical toxicology at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
Asia University Hospital nephrologist Lin Hsuan-jen (林軒任) in a recent Facebook post cited as an example a 65-year-old woman, who had long been burning poor-quality incense.
Photo: CNA
She and her family across three generations were found to have lead poisoning, Lin said.
The woman sought medical attention for severe anemia, leg edema, unexplained pain in her bones and abdomen, and shortness of breath, he said.
A preliminary examination showed that her hemoglobin levels were down to 5.8g per deciliter, which was initially considered a symptom of malnutrition, but further blood tests showed that her blood lead levels were at a surprisingly high 59 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL), he said.
An investigation found that the woman used to burn lead-containing incense at home, Lin said, adding that her husband, son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren all had extremely high levels of lead in their blood, ranging from 30mcg/dL to more than 80mcg/dL.
Studies have found that children from families that frequently burn incense had slightly higher blood lead levels than their peers, but not to the extent of lead poisoning, Yang said, adding that lead poisoning caused purely by burning incense was rare.
What is of more concern is the use of substandard incense with more lead-based pigments, he said.
Lead-containing incense produce fine dust or suspended particulate matter when burned, which might be inhaled or consumed through hand-to-mouth contact, such as when people touch incense residue and then eat food without washing their hands first, Yang said.
Given that children’s lead absorption rate is about 40 to 50 percent, much higher than adults’ 10 to 15 percent, the same amount of lead exposure would adversely impact children more than adults, he said.
Measuring lead levels through blood tests is the most straightforward way to find out whether a person is at risk of lead poisoning, he said.
Although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s blood lead reference value has been lowered to 3.5mcg/dL, blood lead levels have no safe range, with “the lower, the better,” Yang said.
Acute lead poisoning symptoms include abdominal cramps, anemia or limb weakness, and could affect the nervous system in serious cases, which requires chelation therapy once diagnosed, he added.
People should avoid burning incense unless necessary, he said.
Those who frequently burn incense for religious reasons should also reduce incense amounts and enhance ventilation, and people should wash their hands after touching incense and before eating, as well as refrain from using unreliable products, he added.
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