Third-hand Smoke

[Vajra]

So we know of first-hand (around yourself), second-hand (around others), but it seems that there is a new contender in the smoking arena, it's known as third-hand smoke (particles that stay on your clothes, hair, carpet, furniture, release into the air off your clothes) even if you smoke outside it'll still stays on your clothes, and releases...everywhere as carcinogens...

Think about it, hospital workers go on smoke breaks, come back to patients rooms, carcinogens get trapped in room, patient gets cancer years later (especially if there is repeated offense). Seems pretty much less likely if you're outdoors more, but if you're indoors alot, and your co-workers go on smoke breaks and come back in, you're inhaling the carcinogens right after they come back inside...since they release into the air off their clothes and hair.


http://www.statepress.com/2010/04/22...rd-hand-smoke/

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...0/423Smoke.jpg

THE THIRD DEGREE: ASU research has shown that third-hand smoke further complicates the dangers of second-hand smoke. (Photo by Serwaa Adu-Tutu)

With more than six years invested in his research, ASU professor Hugo Destaillats is making new findings in the effects of third-hand smoke.

The research has found that third-hand smoke complicates the dangers of second-hand smoke, which is already recognized as able to cause cancer.

“If you can smell [the cigarette smoke], there is something there that goes from the surfaces to your [senses],” Destaillats said. “That is third-hand smoke.”

The research, performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., revealed how nicotine reacts with pollutants in the air when it lingers on indoor surfaces and can affect people even after the smoke is long gone.

“Because of the reactions that can occur on the surfaces, third-hand smoke can become more dangerous over time as it interacts with the common pollutant nitrous acid,” said staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Lara Gundel.

Destaillats, Gundel and other researchers began this exposure assessment by testing how nicotine reacted with the ozone. After investigating the reactions, the research took a turn.

“We were very curious about whether pollutants that would be normally or often present indoors would react with cigarette smoke that would linger on the surfaces of indoor environments that people would be smoking [in],” Gundel said.

While tobacco burns, the nicotine it releases is in a vapor form, which can easily cling to surfaces like floors, carpeting, drapes and furniture.

“We started looking at what happens after the smoke leaves, in other words, when somebody [finishes] smok[ing], time passes and smoke gradually dissipates and part of it sticks on surfaces,” Gundel said.

When nicotine mixes with the common pollutant nitrous acid, it produces harmful carcinogens known as tobacco-specific nitrosamines or TSNAs.

“We found that … these nasty carcinogens were formed on the surfaces from levels of nitrous acid that would be present indoors,” Gundel said.

Destaillats and Gundel also looked at what occurs inside the truck of a smoker and found high levels of TSNAs.

“Vehicles have a lot of surfaces that people can be exposed to,” she said.

Though their research found evidence of dangerous components indoors, it’s unknown how they get into or affect the body.

“We are hoping to be able to give [this research] to biologists so they can follow up on these studies and find out what these carcinogens do when they [enter the body],” Gundel said.

It’s also unknown whether third-hand smoke directly causes cancer, she said.

“Nobody knows that just yet,” Gundel said. “One of the complications is that before third-hand smoke was recognized, a lot of [diseases that were] contributed to second-hand smoke, may have been caused by third-hand smoke, but we don’t know that yet.”

This research makes Gundel assume it does lead to cancer.

“Two of the three compounds are very potent carcinogens based on work done by biologists … and they are thought to be linked to lung cancer,” she said.

While assumptions may lead to cancer, Destaillats made it clear that it’s still an unknown topic.

“Sometimes people take … research like ours and they make wild extrapolations,” he said. “There is a potential harm, but we don’t want to exaggerate it.”

If the research does lead to third-hand smoke resulting in cancer, mathematics graduate student Susan Seal said she still wouldn’t change her smoking habits.

“I think it’s all pretty much a stretch,” Seal said. “Certainly me smoking in my car is no worse for me than the fact that I’m already smoking.”

Photography sophomore Airi Katsuta said she never smokes in her house, but does smoke in her car four or five times a day.

Katsuta said the research makes her more aware of the non-smokers around her.

“[They’re] not even around smoke and can get cancer — that’s bad,” she said.

While Destaillats and Gundel’s research has made some think twice, both said this wasn’t their goal.

“We want people to know that we have identified a risk from tobacco smoke that has never been recognized before,” Gundel said.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]

Edit: blueh I can't host the picture bandwith keeps getting eaten up so fast cause of my sig...

[Dimmauk]

Its amazing how you save lives every time you make a new thread. You sir/madame are a Hero.

[tyven]

gdi dimmy i wanted to first

[Mugekuge]

May as well live inside a crystall ball if you don't want to get infected by anything.

[Pirian]

In before smokers are butthurt



damn it too late

[Alleya]

"It’s also unknown whether third-hand smoke directly causes cancer, she said."

gj jumping to conclusions as usual varja

[Vajra]

"It’s also unknown whether third-hand smoke directly causes cancer, she said."

gj jumping to conclusions as usual Varja

The carcinogens cause the cancer, which are the particles released from third-hand smoke. I saw this on Dr. Oz for the first time today. Seems like it's been researched for a long time now(two doctors came on the show and explained it).

[Alleya]

The researchers themselves in the very article you posted said there is no clear connection.

There's not even proof positive that cigarettes cause it, correlation != causation

This is just another example of sensationalism. There's no context in the article at all. For all you know these "deadly chemicals" are no more harmful than the arsenic in your drinking water.

[Demosthenes]

Seventh hand some is the deadliest of all. Cancer particulates floating in the air from the 20s and 30s are deadly.

[Demosthenes]

the arsenic in your drinking water.

Hello my name is Ray and, I am from clean water action. I am here to tell you today about the level of arsenic in your drinking water...

[Headspace]

Andy Dick had a hilarious Third Hand Smoke PSA on his show way back when, no video on the interwebs

[gandorf]

I will sleep better tonight knowing that I am slowly killing people around me with third-hand smoking.

[Sylvrdragon]

This just in: Everyone is going to die.

Life is a terminal disease. Get the fuck over it.

[Psion]

Can we ban smoking yet? D:

[Lucavi]

At some point you just have to let people live their lives. Nothing will ever be a fair "solution" to prevent third-hand smoke.

[Eliseos]

Satan placed those particles on smoker's clothes, just like dinosaur bones in the Earth.

[Tristam]

University press releases can be notoriously terrible sources of the significance of information. They're frequently just advertisements.

[Correction]

I saw this on Dr. Oz for the first time today.

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Dude makes a living making stay at home moms terrified of everything, because everything can kill you.

[Haiko]

Is this really worth a thread? Can we just banned vajra whenever he makes one?

[Woozie]

Ya'll niggas postin' in a Vajra thread