WASHINGTON, Sept 2 — Smoking indoors is bad for your health, even after you put out your cigarette. According to a study, smoke goes deep into fabrics, furniture and other objects in the room. And this so-called thirdhand smoke can be dangerous to your health, even long after you’ve quit.
Even without smoking, tobacco can damage our health. Non-smokers are already familiar with passive smoking, i.e., breathing in cigarette smoke, also known as second-hand smoke. In the US, this causes around 34,000 deaths per year. But smoking creates yet another danger, that of “thirdhand smoke.” This refers to the residual tobacco substances that are in and on fabrics, furniture, floors and walls. Indoors, this thirdhand smoke can constitute a health hazard even years later.
These are the findings of a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Thirdhand smoke” is made up of nicotine, released in the smoke, and of a molecule naturally present in the indoor air called “nitrous acid.” The meeting of these two substances leads to the creation of molecules called “tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA),” which are highly carcinogenic.
“Three different TSNAs were formed in this reaction, two of which (identified by the acronyms NNK and NNN) are known carcinogens,” warns a press release based on the study. While for a few hours they can be detected by the smell of cold tobacco, these substances settle permanently in the homes. Always present on surfaces, they evolve and come into contact with the inhabitants.
“Five different exposure pathways exceeded the NSRL under realistic scenarios, including inhalation, dust ingestion, direct dermal contact, gas-to-skin deposition, and epidermal nitrosation of nicotine,” the experts noted.
Continuous exposure to these substances can significantly increase the risk of cancer. If there is no way to get rid of them permanently, experts advise cleaning the furniture and walls and changing the place of the objects but most of all to stop smoking, and failing that to do it outside. — ETX Studio
