Physicochemical analysis of Agnihotra aerosols and their implications on human health and environment

Abstract

Agnihotra or Yagya or Yajna, a traditional Indian ritual is considered as a method of ancient non-invasive inhalation therapy as well as a convenient method for environmental remediation. Despite research advances in environmental science, this traditional system of bio-fumigation & medication and its effect on the environment has not been effectively studied and requires detailed scientific analysis. In this article, we have investigated the physicochemical properties of Agnihotra aerosol particles using state-of-the-art advanced instrumentation techniques and analyze their effect on human health and the environment. We have focused our study in three major domains, morphological and chemical composition analysis of particulate matter (PM), real-time concentration analysis of selected environmental gases and systematic study of various volatile organic compounds that evolved during Agnihotra. The EDS and XRF analysis reveal that no toxic elements were released during Agnihotra. The real-time monitoring of various gases using the multi-sensor gas analyzer instrument reveals relative reduction in concentration by 25%, 20.76%, 15.45%, 23.22% and 13.63% for CO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃ and H₂S respectively. Further, GC-MS analysis reveals that more than 42 bioactive compounds have been found in the Agnihotra fumes. These findings suggest that Agnihotra may influence air quality and release biologically active compounds; however the therapeutic potential via inhalation requires further in vitro and in vivo validation. This work provides a foundation for future systematic investigations into the scientific basis of Agnihotra.