Introduction: People spend up to 90% of their life indoor, and the way we live and behave in our homes has substantial effects on our health and well-being. Particle contamination is suggested to have substantial negative effects on health, with candles and cooking emitting the largest amount of particles, thus being the largest contributors to indoor air pollution. Little is known about the potential adverse health effects of candles and cooking, and people with asthma may be more susceptible.
Aim: To investigate local and systemic effects of short-term exposure to lit candles and cooking among young asthmatics.
Design: In a randomised double-blinded cross-over study non-smoking asthmatics (18-25 years) were exposed for five hours at three different exposure conditions separated by 14 days; A) clean filtered air, B) lit candles and C) cooking emissions under controlled environmental conditions.
Measurements: TSI P-TRAK Ultrafine Particle Counter was used for particle counts. Health effects, including lung function (FEV1/FVC) and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were evaluated in relation to local and systemic effects prior to, right after and 24 h. after exposure.
Analysis: Mixed methods approach taking both time and exposure into account.
