別再點香薰蠟燭了，你們這是在吸毒

香薰蠟燭可能看上去很好看，但卻會對空氣質(zhì)量造成惡劣影響。

All this talk of candles might give you the warm fuzzies, but there's a dark truth beneath it all. Scented candles are not as innocuous as they seem. They're in fact quite toxic and not something you should be burning in your home. Here's why.

所有關(guān)于蠟燭的話題可能讓你感到溫暖，但在這些蠟燭背后，卻存在更為黑暗的真相。香薰蠟燭不但并非如其表面看上去那么人畜無害，而且含有劇毒，絕對不能在室內(nèi)燃燒。

The majority of candles are made from paraffin wax, which is the final byproduct in the petroleum refining chain. It is described as "basically the bottom of the barrel, even after asphalt is extracted." When burned, its soot contains toluene and benzene, both known carcinogens. These are the same chemicals found in diesel exhaust and "can cause damage to the brain, lung and central nervous system, as well as cause developmental difficulties" (via HuffPo).

大多數(shù)蠟燭都由石蠟制成，而石蠟是石油精煉鏈中的最終副產(chǎn)品，甚至排在瀝青之后。燃燒時，其煙灰中含有甲苯與苯，這兩者都是已知的致癌物質(zhì)，并且與柴油機廢氣中排出的化學(xué)物質(zhì)相同。除致癌以外，還「可能對大腦、肺與中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)造成損害，并會導(dǎo)致發(fā)育障礙」。

A study at South Carolina State University compared non-scented, non-pigmented, dye-free candles that were made from either a petroleum-based wax or a vegetable-based wax. They concluded that "the vegetable-based candles didn't produce any potentially harmful pollutants [but] the paraffin candles released unwanted chemicals into the air." Chemistry professor Ruhullah Massoudi stated,

南卡羅來納州立大學(xué)的一項研究對一批無香味、無色素、無染料蠟燭進行了比較，這些蠟燭都由石油基蠟或植物蠟制成。他們最終得出結(jié)論：「植物蠟燭不會產(chǎn)生任何潛在的有害污染物，(但)石蠟蠟燭卻會將不必要的化學(xué)物質(zhì)釋放到空氣中」。

"For a person who lights a candle every day for years or just uses them frequently, inhalation of these dangerous pollutants drifting in the air could contribute to the development of health risks like cancer, common allergies and even asthma."

化學(xué)教授Ruhullah Massoudi對此表示：「對于那些常年每天都點蠟燭或經(jīng)常使用蠟燭的人來說，吸入空氣中漂浮的這些危險污染物可能會導(dǎo)致癌癥、常見過敏甚至哮喘等健康問題」。

Fragrance isn't safe, either. Eighty to 90 percent of fragrance ingredients are "synthesized from petroleum and some of the commonly found harmful chemicals in fragranced products include acetone, phenol, toluene, benzyl acetate, and limonene" (from 2009 study "Fragrance in the Workplace is the New Second-Hand Smoke", University of Maryland). Many of the chemicals commonly used in fragrance blends have been linked to hormone disruption, asthma, chronic lung disease, and allergic reactions; nevertheless, they are not required to be listed as ingredients because they're considered a proprietary secret.

除此之外，香味也不安全。 80%至90%的香精成分都由石油合成，而且香薰產(chǎn)品中的一些常見有害化學(xué)物質(zhì)包括丙酮、苯酚、甲苯、醋酸芐酯以及檸檬烯。許多這些常用香料混合物中的化學(xué)物質(zhì)都會導(dǎo)致激素受損、哮喘、慢性肺病以及過敏反應(yīng)。然而，這些物質(zhì)卻不需要列在成分表上，因為它們被視為專有機密。

In 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report stating that burning candles is a source of particulate matter and "may result in indoor air concentrations of lead above EPA-recommended thresholds." The lead comes from metal-core wicks, which are used by some candle-makers because the metal holds the wick upright, preventing it from falling over as a cotton wick would.

2001年，美國環(huán)境保護署發(fā)布了一份報告，指出燃燒的蠟燭是顆粒物質(zhì)的來源之一，并且「可能導(dǎo)致室內(nèi)空氣中的鉛濃度高于EPA建議的閾值」。一些蠟燭制造商為了防止燈芯像棉芯一樣翻倒，有時會使用金屬材料，而這些金屬在燃燒時便會釋放出鉛。

If you're a committed candle lover – or celebrating Hanukkah – the safest bet is to go with unscented organic soy or beeswax candles.

如果你是一個忠誠的蠟燭愛好者，最安全的選擇是使用無味的有機大豆或蜂蠟蠟燭。

It may be hard to pass on the scented ones, as they do look stunning and smell tantalizing, but it's not worth sacrificing your health for the sake of an attractive light, especially when healthier options do exist.

它們可能很難傳遞氣味，看起來也不會令人驚嘆，聞起來也不會很誘人，但是為了那點吸引人的光線，并不值得你為此犧牲健康，特別是當(dāng)存在更為健康的選擇時。