Air pollution and Encaustics

This blog was promoted by a chance observation on my environmental monitor system (see my separate blog on Air Pollution Monitor System). It has two air quality sensors connected, one outdoors on the south side of the house and the other indoors in the lounge, perched on the back of the settee where I usually sit. So the second one monitors what I actually breath in. A month or so I bought an electric stylus tool for my encaustic (beeswax) based artwork. It's basically a soldering iron with a special bit and a temperature control system that maintains the tip at a pre-set fixed value. I've not used it much but on 13th November 2025 I was using it to tack together a few wax pieces. Next day I noticed a really strong surge of PM2.5 air pollution graph from the 'settee sensor' - just about 3 feet from where I was working. The curve is as shown below and can be seen to peak somewhere around 60um/m3. To appreciate the significance of this value, note that WHO recommended max value is an average of 5ug/m3 over a 24 hour period. My normal levels are usually just below this, typified by the trace before 17.00 hours, the time I started using the stylus! 

I've since done a temperature measurement of the stylus and discovered it is set at 165C, which is well above the temperature at which beeswax produces fumes.  According to Gemini AI this is 85C. So the sharp peak in the pollution monitor is undoubtedly due to my wax activities. It seems surprising that it's set so high when beeswax melts at around 64C. Added resin would raise this 10 or 20 degrees, but even so. The question of course is 'are these fumes dangerous?' A search on beeswax fumes implies they are benign below about 210C, when the risk of explosive gas becomes the over-riding issue. However a search on PM2.5 pollution, which as my air pollution monitor shows can come from encaustic art activities, tells a very different story. These minute particles are seen as the most dangerous of the many air pollution constituents we are confronted by. From Gemini AI we have: 

 "The size of PM2.5 particles allows them to bypass the body's natural defence mechanisms and infiltrate key systems:- 

  Deep Lung Penetration: They are small enough to reach the deepest parts of the lungs (the alveoli), where oxygen is exchanged with the blood. This causes inflammation and impairs lung function. 

  Entry into the Bloodstream: From the alveoli, the smallest PM2.5 particles can actually cross into the bloodstream. Once in the blood, they circulate throughout the body, causing systemic inflammation. 

  Chemical Payload: These particles often carry toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and organic compounds, which are then distributed internally. Health Consequences- 

  Cardiovascular System (Heart and Blood Vessels) Heart Attacks and Strokes: PM2.5 is the leading environmental cause of death globally, primarily due to cardiovascular events. Once in the bloodstream, the particles cause inflammation and hardening of the arteries, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. 

  High Blood Pressure: Long-term exposure is associated with chronically elevated blood pressure. 

  Respiratory System Asthma and COPD: Exposure can trigger asthma attacks, worsen Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and reduce overall lung capacity. 

  Lung Cancer PM2.5 is classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 

  Infections It impairs the immune response in the lungs, making individuals more susceptible to respiratory infections like pneumonia. 

  Brain: Recent research suggests PM2.5 can reach the brain, contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and potential cognitive decline. 

  Foetal Development: Exposure during pregnancy is linked to adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight and premature birth." 

None of which sounds remotely benign! 

But what to take on board? I suspect that beeswax gets a good press because it's long been seen as a safe constituent in candles when weighed against paraffin wax candles. Indeed burning beeswax candles is sometimes promoted as having beneficial properties. And it's from bees of course which make that lovely honey, again promoted as a health benefit (highly debateable!)  So it would seem prudent to reduce exposure to any beeswax fumes. I suggest the following, all of which I will do my best to adhere to:-

1. Keep the wax temperature to the absolute minimum. This can mean being prepared to wait a bit longer for wax melts. Don't be tempted to turn up the temperature (eg. on hotplates) to speed things up, plan ahead to allow more time. 

2. Always wear a mask 

3. Have good through forced ventilation 

4. Get an air purifier unit*, especially if ventilation is restricted, and mount it so it sucks in the wax fumes. 

 * These can be quite small and not too expensive (around £50), or look on eBay or Marketplace where they often come up for sale after the novelty wears off. But check that the filter replacement can be readily obtained.

And this also applies to the encaustic iron. The LOW setting in the middle of its range is about 160C, much the same as the stylus so the same precautions apply for using the iron. And don't be tempted to move it to a higher temperature setting to speed things up!