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Comment by tda | Hacker News Reader

I have a cheap pm10 meter and ran it continuously for a few weeks. Next too cooking meat the other activity that stood out was blowing out the birthday candles. The pm10 rose to 300 and only was backs to healthy levels (below 50) several hours later. I was as surprised as you are. Next time I'll definitely open a window

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Not all particles are equally toxic. If I had to guess, the smoke from a recently-extinguished candle is probably condensed wax vapor rather than PAHs and heavy metals.

I don't think condensed wax vapor has looks like the dark smoke that comes off a recently extinguished candle. I'm pretty sure it's carbon compounds from the wick.

The black smoke is soot from partially burned wax and it's definitely carcinogenic.

Condensed wax vapor can’t be good for your lungs when inhaled

Where did you get a cheap meter and what do you consider cheap :D?

It's a pms5003 which I bought for €12 from aliexpress

How often do you blow out birthday candles?

At least once a year

You're lucky not born on 29th February.

check out fireworks for the Fourth: https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/06/a-big-fireworks-pollu...

The absolute values measured are not that high luckily. In the Netherlands at New years pm10 of greater than 1000 can be observed. I believe my outdoor sensor peaked at 900 in the first minutes of 2020. Glad fireworks were banned this year

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