Cigarettes: Air Polluters Or Not?

Cigarette smoke is a major contributor to air pollution. It is estimated that tobacco smoke is ten times more polluting to the air than diesel emissions. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemical compounds, 60 of which are known carcinogens. These include carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, nicotine, phenol, hydrogen cyanide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

The health risks of cigarette smoke are well-known. Smoking can lead to a host of diseases that affect every organ of the body, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung disease, and COPD. It is also dangerous to non-smokers who experience second-hand and third-hand smoking.

The tobacco industry is also responsible for significant environmental damage. Tobacco growth uses 22 billion tons of water every year and requires the clearing of vast areas of land, leading to widescale deforestation and the release of greenhouse gases. The tobacco lifecycle has a high carbon footprint and significant environmental impact.

Cigarette butts are the most common type of litter on the planet and are made of plasticised cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that is not biodegradable. It can take up to 14 years for a cigarette butt to break up into microplastics, which then remain in the environment indefinitely.

Cigarette smoke is more polluting than diesel emissions

Cigarette smoke is a far more polluting agent than diesel emissions, as evidenced by a controlled experiment in Italy. The study found that the air pollution emitted by cigarettes is about 10 times greater than diesel car exhaust. This is because new engine models and lead-free fuels have cut the levels of particulate matter emissions from car exhausts.

The experiment was carried out in a private garage in a small town in northern Italy, which has very low levels of fine particle pollution. A turbo-diesel 2-litre engine was left idling in the garage for 30 minutes with the doors closed. The doors were then left open for four hours. Three filtered cigarettes were then lit and left to burn for 30 minutes. A portable analyser took readings on the levels of PM during these two events. Upon comparing the results, the levels recorded in the first hour following the burning of the cigarettes measured 830 μg/m3 compared to 80 μg/m3 measured during the first hour of the diesel engine’s idling.

The various steps of tobacco production and consumption also contribute to air pollution. Tobacco production leads to widescale deforestation and releases greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. The curing process for tobacco requires large quantities of wood, further contributing to deforestation. The manufacturing process releases greenhouse gases, particle pollution, and emissions that equate to those released by 3 million transatlantic flights. The commercial transport of tobacco products relies heavily on fossil fuels, releasing air pollutants like fine particles.

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds

Some of the compounds included in cigarette smoke are carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, nicotine, phenol, hydrogen cyanide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs).

The chemical composition of cigarette smoke is important to understand when considering the impact smoking has on air quality. Tobacco smoke is an aerosol, meaning that 95% is gas and 5%, the visible part of cigarette smoke, consists of particles known as ‘tar’.

Cigarette smoke has two classifications in terms of risk assessment: mainstream or sidestream. Mainstream smoke is inhaled directly by the user through the cigarette column into the lungs. Sidestream smoke, also known as ‘passive smoke’ or ‘second-hand smoke’, is typically inhaled into the lungs by non-smokers. It is the smoke that is released when the cigarette is left burning between puffs. Concentrations of the dangerous substances found in cigarettes are often higher in sidestream smoke.

The health risks of cigarette smoke are well-known. Smoking can lead to a host of diseases that affect every organ of the body, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung disease and lung cancer, COPD, and more.

In addition to the dangers to human health, tobacco production and consumption also have a significant impact on the environment. Tobacco production and consumption heavily pollute the air throughout each step of the process. This includes the high carbon footprint and significant environmental impact of the tobacco lifecycle, leading to widescale deforestation and the release of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.

The impact of tobacco on the environment is further exacerbated by the commercial transport of tobacco products, which relies heavily on fossil fuels, and the disposal of tobacco products, with cigarette butts being the most common type of litter on the planet.

Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item

Cigarette butts are commonly littered for several reasons. Firstly, they can take many years to break down, as the filters are made from plastic fibres that only degrade under severe biological circumstances, such as when they collect in sewage. This means that discarded cigarette butts can stick around for a long time, leaching toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead, into the environment and contributing to land, water, and air pollution. Secondly, littering remains a common method of disposing of cigarette butts, with 75% of smokers reporting that they have done it. Finally, smoking rates remain high, with tobacco use being the leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide.

The widespread littering of cigarette butts has significant environmental ramifications. The low biodegradability of cigarette filters, which are made from cellulose acetate, and the toxic chemicals that leach from them are major problems. Cigarette butts are often discarded in natural environments, such as beaches and waterways, where they can release harmful chemicals and contaminate soil and water sources. The small size and low economic value of cigarette butts also contribute to the inefficiencies of waste collection and management systems.

To address the problem of cigarette butt littering, innovative cigarette design, extended producer responsibility, stringent waste collection mechanisms, and behavioural changes are needed. Gentle marketing strategies and non-confrontational behavioural nudges could also help reduce the prevalence of cigarette butt littering.

Tobacco production is a major cause of deforestation

Tobacco farming accounts for about 5% of all trees cut down yearly worldwide. According to a 2012 statistic, 4.3 million hectares of land in low- and middle-income countries are used for growing tobacco, mainly in Brazil, China, and India.

The curing process for tobacco requires large quantities of wood, which also leads to deforestation. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 11.4 million metric tonnes of wood are burned each year to cure tobacco.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that tobacco production's price tag consists of '600,000 million trees, 200,000 hectares of land, 22 billion tonnes of water, and 84 million tonnes of CO2'.

Cigarette smoke contains radioactive materials

Polonium-210 and lead-210 accumulate in the lungs of people who smoke and can cause cell and tissue damage, leading to lung cancer. This radioactivity can also harm people exposed to secondhand smoke.

The presence of radioactive materials in cigarettes is due to the use of fertilizers by tobacco farmers. The fertilizers contain the naturally-occurring radionuclide radium and its decay products. As the tobacco plant grows, radon from the fertilizer, along with naturally-occurring radon in the surrounding soil and rocks, is transferred to and absorbed by the plant. This radon then decays into the radioactive elements lead-210 and polonium-210, which are particularly harmful.

The sticky underside of tobacco leaves holds on to these radionuclides, and they are not washed away by rain. As a result, cigarettes made from this tobacco still contain radioactive elements, which settle and build up in the lungs of smokers over time. This radiation can damage the lungs and contribute to lung cancer.

In addition to the health risks, cigarette smoke also contributes significantly to air pollution. It has been found to be ten times more polluting to the air than diesel emissions. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemical compounds, 60 of which are known carcinogens. It releases carbon dioxide, methane, and other harmful substances into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and poor air quality.

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