A Consumers’ Foundation survey on how famous temples are working to reduce air pollution by limiting the use of incense for worship, suggested two of the 10 most popular temples did not reduce their number of incense pots and several temples sold uncertified “eco-friendly incense.”
As of December 2014, there were 12,106 registered temples nationwide and 1,237 in the Greater Taipei area.
The common mixed-use zoning of residential and commercial areas in Taipei means that air pollution from temples burning incense can directly affect the health of nearby residents, the foundation said.
Taipei’s Xingtian Temple (行天宮) enforced a policy banning incense burning and food offerings in August 2014, and several temples followed its eco-friendly policy by reducing incense pots or the number of incense sticks burned in each pot.
The foundation yesterday said its survey of 64 temples in northern Taiwan showed several famous temples in Taipei reduced incense pot numbers and the number of incense sticks from three per pot to one per pot, including Longshan Temple (龍山寺), Baoan Temple (保安宮) in Dalongdong (大龍峒) and Tianhou Temple (天后宮) in Ximending (西門町).
However, among the nation’s top 10 most popular temples, as voted by netizens, Zihnan Temple (紫南宮) in Nantou County and Lugang Tianhou Temple (天后宮) in Changhua County did not take such actions, the survey showed.
Yuandao Kuanyin Temple (緣道觀音廟) in New Taipei City’s Sanjhih Township (三芝) was found to be selling bundles of 10 incense sticks for the relatively high cost of NT$1,000, it said.
Foundation chairman Alan Lu (陸雲) said nine of the temples surveyed sell or give for free “eco-friendly incense” to worshipers, but only one of the “eco-friendly incense” products (used at Longshan Temple) met the government’s Chinese National Standards 15047, for levels of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metal substances.
Lu said long-term exposure to smoke and VOCs, especially benzene, produced by burning incense can adversely affect the eyes, skin, respiratory system and central nervous system.
The foundation urged the Environment Protection Administration to set standards for incense products and product examination standards, and advised worshipers to avoid using incense containing artificial additives, as well as reduce the amount of incense used.
Lu said that despite having banned incense burning, Xingtian Temple was still voted the most popular temple in the nation, so worshipers should keep in mind that being sincere and faithful is more important than incense when worshiping.
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