Candlelit Dinner May be Hazardous to Your Health

There’s nothing that says romance like a candlelit dinner – but scientists say burning certain kinds of candles may actually be hazardous to your health.

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Candlelit Dinner May be Hazardous to Your Health

In a study presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., researchers found fumes from paraffin wax candles — the most popular and cheapest kind of candles — can be poisonous and even cause cancer.

They say the candles, made from petroleum, are an "unrecognized source of exposure to indoor air pollution, including known human carcinogens." , FOXNews reports.

You may be ingesting more during those romantic, candlelit dinners than a nice cabernet and a lamb chop. Side of benzene, anyone?

According to new research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, that’s what you might get, along with a dollop of toluene and a dash of ketones , msnbc.com reports.

Researchers R. Massoudi and Amid Hamidi, from the University of South Carolina, said in a statement released at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society Tuesday, that levels of pollutants from paraffin wax can build up in closed rooms and eventually become dangerous.

The researchers said that occasionally lighting the candles would likely have little health impacts, but everyday use could cause problems.

They also said that many people who think they have indoor allergies and respiratory irritation may actually be reacting to air pollutants from paraffin wax candles , AHN reports.