If you were wondering about some of the disadvantages to being religious and attending church, researchers performed a study in 2004 that came upon a new one: breathing church air is bad for your lungs. All of those burning candles and incense make church air worse than the air by a busy road.
Reuters reported a couple of years ago:
"After a day of candle burning we found about 20 times as much as by a busy road," Theo de Kok, the author of the study, told Reuters. "These levels were so unbelievably high we thought we should report it to the public."
The air at a Maastricht basilica contained 20 times the European Union limit of PM10 particles after a simulated mass ceremony. Tiny PM10 particles can be inhaled and are therefore a potential hazard.
The scientists also found high levels of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as some unknown types of free radicals released from burning candles and incense. Free radical atoms act as starters and promoters of cancer tumors. "The exposures are worrisome, not so much for the occasional church-goer, but priests, choirs and other people working in churches may have significant exposure," he said.
What about people who are regular churchgoers? I'm not sure what "occasional" means�-- merely weekly? Whatever it is, I wonder if some people will wear masks to church in order to protect their lungs while they try to save their souls.
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