چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background: Concerns have been expressed about
potential toxicity of the smoke produced by the burning of
moxa in traditional Chinese medicine. With the advent of
strict anti-smoking legislation in the UK, it was decided to
test the volatiles produced by moxibustion and compare
them with current agreed safe exposure levels.
Method: Moxa, in the form of cigar shaped moxa
‘‘sticks’’ or ‘‘rolls’’, was tested under International
Organization for Standardization conditions in a tobacco
testing laboratory, and the quantities of a number of predetermined
volatiles measured. The smoke tested was
‘‘sidestream smoke’’, the smoke which arises from the
burning tip of the moxa. The test results were then scaled
up to reflect normal use and to provide direct
comparisons with agreed national safety standards for
both short- and long-term exposure levels.
Results: Levels of only two volatiles produced were
equivalent or greater than the safe exposure levels, as
was the carbon monoxide level reported, both as a
consequence of using worst case assumptions for
comparison. Under normal operating conditions neither
volatile nor carbon monoxide would present a safety
hazard. One group of chemicals tested, the aromatic
amines, with known carcinogenic properties have no
agreed safety levels. Results for these in the study
compared favourably with background levels reported in
urban environments.
Conclusion: There are no immediate concerns arising
from the continued use of moxa as a therapeutic modality
in traditional Chinese medicine. Further testing may be
required to establish whether current recommendations
for ventilation and cleansing of treatment room surfaces
may need to be revised. Stronger recommendations may
also be necessary on the inadvisability of using moxa on
broken skin.