Meet Archishman Dey, 8th grader who found incense caused most pollution
Eighth-grader Archishman Dey conducted a science project in Ohio to measure indoor air pollution levels from common household items. His findings revealed that burning incense sticks produced the highest levels of PM2.5 particulate matter compared to other sources like candles and air fryers.
Why it matters
The study highlights the often-overlooked health risks of indoor air quality, particularly for vulnerable populations like those with asthma.
An eighth-grader from Solon, Ohio, is drawing attention to an often-overlooked source of air pollution - the air inside our homes. Archishman Dey, a student at Solon Middle School, conducted a science project examining how common household activities affect levels of PM2.5, or fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter.His experiment tested five everyday sources - an air fryer, candle, humidifier, natural gas and incense. Of these, burning an incense stick produced the highest level of PM2.5 in his experiment.Archishman Dey explains why he studied indoor air pollutionArchishman said his project was inspired by his concern about the air people breathe inside their homes.“When people think about air pollution, they usually imagine cars, factories, or smoke stacks outdoors, which we classify as ambient air pollution.
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