Remember how you switched to those cute little wax melts because they seemed safer than candles? Surprise! Turns out you've been hotboxing your living room with the equivalent of car exhaust.
As reported in New Atlas, scientists at Purdue University ruined everyone's "Winter Vanilla Comfort" vibes by discovering that those innocent-looking wax melts are pumping out over a million nanoparticles per cubic centimeter. Your attempt at creating a serene home environment is like rolling coal in your living room. At this point, we're all just walking toxic waste dumps with Instagram accounts and seasonal decorating preferences.
"A forest is a pristine environment, but if you're using cleaning and aromatherapy products full of chemically manufactured scents to recreate a forest in your home, you're actually creating a tremendous amount of indoor air pollution," says Dr. Nusrat Jung, determined to crush our souls while dropping science facts. Thanks, Doc — we'll file that right next to the studies about microplastics in our brains.
These tiny particles are small enough to slip right into your lungs and bloodstream, like tiny little pollution ninjas. The researchers measured 483 million particles per second entering the respiratory tract. At this point, you might as well install a diesel generator in your breakfast nook — at least then you'd get some electricity out of the deal.
The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, shows that these "safer" flameless alternatives are about as healthy as huffing a tailpipe.
But hey, at least your house smells like "Summer Breeze" while you're recreating the air quality of the Jersey Turnpike!
