Thirdhand Smoke Leaves Carcinogenic Deposits
Posted by proforma on January 4, 2011
Most people are aware of the dangers associated with exposure to “secondhand smoke,” in which exposure to another’s smoking can affect a nearby nonsmoker. But there’s a new concern about “thirdhand smoke,” or the compounds that settle on walls, furniture and clothes, or float around in ordinary dust.
Jonathan Winickoff, an associate professor of pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, says these compounds can be ingested or absorbed through the skin. Some give off gases as they deteriorate and many are carcinogenic. The more that smoking occurs at a specific location, the more microlayers of these toxins accumulate.
Winickoff led research for a study published in the journal Pediatrics that surveyed 1,500 smokers and nonsmokers about the hazards of second- and thirdhand smoke.
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
