Cigarette Smoking: Indoor Pollution And Health Hazards

Cigarette smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution. It is well-documented that exposure to second-hand smoke can be harmful to human health and cause premature death and disease.

Cigarette smoke is an aerosol, a mixture of 90% gas and 10% particles. It contains more than 4000 chemical compounds, 60 of which are known carcinogens.

The two classifications of cigarette smoke are mainstream smoke (MS) and sidestream smoke (SS). MS is inhaled directly by the user through the cigarette column into the lungs. SS, also known as passive smoke, is typically inhaled into the lungs by non-smokers. Concentrations of the dangerous substances found in cigarettes are often higher in SS.

A study in northern Italy compared the effects of diesel car emissions and cigarette smoke on air quality. It found that cigarette smoke was ten times more of an effect on air quality than those of diesel emissions.

The various effects of tobacco production on air quality include:

- Deforestation and soil degradation

- Release of greenhouse gases

- High water consumption

- Release of harmful chemicals and emissions

The health risks of cigarette smoke are well-known. In addition to leading to a host of diseases that affect every organ of the body, cigarette smoke is responsible for contributing thousands of metric tonnes of carcinogenic chemicals, greenhouse gases, and other toxic particles per year to our breathing air.

The concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of smoking cafes in Tehran is significantly high, such that it can pose serious risks for the health of both personnel and customers.

Cigarette smoke is a real factor of indoor air pollution

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemical compounds, 60 of which are known carcinogens. These include carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, nicotine, phenol, hydrogen cyanide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). The smoke has two classifications: 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. Concentrations of the dangerous substances found in cigarettes are often higher in sidestream smoke.

The concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of smoking cafes in Tehran is significantly high, such that it can pose serious risks for the health of both personnel and customers. The concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of the cafes was significantly higher than that of the outdoors. The concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of the cafes was higher during the weekend session (with a higher number of "active waterpipe heads") compared with findings during the week-day sessions. The average of lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) resulted by formaldehyde exposure through inhalation in waterpipe (WS), cigarette (CS), waterpipe and cigarette (WCS) and non-smoking (NS) cafes in week-day and weekend sessions were estimated to be 111 × 10−5 and 61.2 × 10−5, 33.7 × 10−5 and 39.4 × 10−5, 271 × 10−5 and 322 × 10−5, and 4.80 × 10−5 and 5.90 × 10−5, respectively, which exceed the limit value by the U.S.EPA and WHO.

The components of cigarette smoke can remain in the rooms for a very long time

Cigarette smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution. It is well-documented that exposure to second-hand smoke can be harmful to human health and cause premature death and disease. The tobacco smoke components can remain in the rooms for a very long time. The tobacco smoke is a mixture of exhaled mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke released from the smouldering tobacco product. The mainstream smoke is inhaled directly by the user through the cigarette column into the lungs, while the sidestream smoke is typically inhaled into the lungs by non-smokers. The sidestream smoke is often found to have higher concentrations of dangerous substances.

The tobacco smoke is an aerosol, meaning that 95% is gas and 5%, the visible part of cigarette smoke, consists of particles known as ‘tar’. The tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemical compounds, including many toxic substances and carcinogens. The smoke contains carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, nicotine, phenol, hydrogen cyanide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs).

The tobacco smoke can be classified into two types: mainstream or sidestream smoke. Mainstream smoke is inhaled directly by the user, while sidestream smoke, also known as ‘passive smoke’ or ‘second-hand smoke’, is typically inhaled into the lungs by non-smokers. The sidestream smoke is the smoke that is released when the cigarette is left burning between puffs. The sidestream smoke has been found to have ten times more of an effect on air quality than diesel emissions.

The first and greatest victims of ultra-passive smoking are children

Ultra-passive smoking, or third-hand smoke, is the air pollution caused by tobacco that lingers once the cigarette is finished. The particles in tobacco smoke remain suspended in the air for a while before settling on surfaces, floors, and walls and becoming encrusted in textiles, such as carpets and curtains. They can remain there for several months, even years, in a closed space.

The Impact on Children

Children are the first and greatest victims of ultra-passive smoking. Due to their small size and habits, such as crawling on the floor, young children inhale more particles from tobacco residue and are more sensitive to air pollution because of their faster breathing rate. When they put their hands in their mouths, they often swallow these particles.

Health Risks

Harvard Medical School Pediatrician, Professor Winickoff, states that a small child could inhale doses up to 20 times higher than an adult. Moreover, an American study reveals that more than 9 out of 10 children have nicotine residue on their hands, including those whose parents or relatives do not smoke.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke residues suffer more from bronchitis, recurrent ear infections, and asthma attacks. In addition, young children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to experience:

• Asthma attacks and more severe symptoms
• Behavioural problems, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anti-social behaviour
• Coughs, colds, and chest infections
• Middle ear infections, which can cause temporary or permanent hearing impairment
• Poor lung development, which increases the risk of respiratory illness
• Pneumonia, which is one of the most common causes of death in childhood worldwide
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• School absences due to health issues, resulting in gaps in learning

Furthermore, children of smoking parents may also face learning difficulties, slower growth, and shorter stature than children of non-smoking parents. They are also more likely to become smokers themselves, putting their long-term health at risk.

Protecting Children from Ultra-Passive Smoking

The best way to protect children from ultra-passive smoking is to keep their surroundings smoke- and vape-free. This includes making your house and car smoke- and vape-free areas and ensuring that people who care for your children do not smoke or vape around them. It is also essential to teach children to stay away from second-hand smoke and vapour from e-cigarettes.

Cigarette smoke is one of the biggest pollutants found indoors

The smoke from cigarettes is divided into two classifications in regards to 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 concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of smoking cafes in Tehran is significantly high, such that it can pose serious risks for the health of both personnel and customers. The concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of the cafes was higher during the weekend session (with a higher number of "active waterpipe heads") compared with findings during the week-day sessions. Furthermore, the concentration of pollutants in the indoor air of the cafes was significantly higher than that of the outdoors.

Cigarette smoke contains carcinogenic compounds

Cigarette smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and this is largely due to the presence of carcinogenic compounds in the smoke. Tobacco smoke is an aerosol, a mixture of 90% gas and 10% particles, and these particles are harmful. In fact, a non-smoker living with a smoker breathes in as many harmful particles at home as a non-smoker living in a highly polluted city.

Cigarette smoke contains a mixture of thousands of compounds, and among these are more than 60 well-established carcinogens. The carcinogens in cigarette smoke include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), N-nitrosamines, aromatic amines, aldehydes, volatile organic hydrocarbons, and metals. Some of the most important carcinogens in cigarette smoke are PAH, N-nitrosamines, aromatic amines, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, aldehydes, and ethylene oxide. These compounds are known for their high carcinogenic potency and levels in cigarette smoke.

In addition to these, there are other compounds in cigarette smoke that have been less thoroughly investigated, but are still suspected to be carcinogenic. These include alkylated PAHs, oxidants, free radicals, and ethylating agents. Cigarette smoke also contains oxidants such as nitric oxide, and diverse metals such as cadmium and the radioisotope polonium-210, which are known human carcinogens.

The presence of these carcinogenic compounds in cigarette smoke has significant implications for human health, especially in indoor environments where people spend a large proportion of their time. The compounds in cigarette smoke can remain in the air for extended periods, leading to prolonged exposure for anyone in the vicinity, including non-smokers. This secondhand exposure to indoor air pollution from cigarette smoke is a particular cause for concern and highlights the importance of understanding the health risks associated with it.

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