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Research has proven that third-hand smoke causes significant damage to our DNA, and becomes even more harmful over time.
What is third-hand smoke?
• It is created by tobacco smoke that lingers after a cigarette has been smoked.
• It’s called third-hand because it is created after second-hand smoke has disappeared.
• Third-hand smoke is absorbed especially well by fabrics, but will stick to almost all surfaces.
• Humans are vulnerable to its compounds through skin contact, inhalation and ingestion.
• It’s especially harmful to crawling children, because it also settles on carpets.
When earlier research pointed to the dangers of second-hand smoke, many smokers saw it as a ploy by anti-tobacco lobbyists to further marginalise them. Many smokers are considerate towards non-smokers, but because of the ones who couldn’t care less, stricter smoking laws are being put in place worldwide to keep smokers in their place.
And you’d think that with these laws we finally managed to address the dangers of smoking, right? Wrong!
New research proves that the smelly residue (third-hand smoke) which sticks to almost all surfaces long after the second-hand smoke has cleared out can actually cause significant long-term genetic damage to human cells.
"Ours is the very first study to confirm that third-hand smoke is mutagenic," said Lara Gundel, who is part of the team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in the USA.
Chemical compounds found in third-hand smoke are among the most potent carcinogens around, and are capable of causing most cancers in humans, according to the findings, which were published in the journal Mutagenesis.
Everyone’s at risk
Everyone can be exposed to the lingering toxic particles through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion. “They [third-hand smoke compounds] cling to surfaces, and when those surfaces are clothing or carpets, the danger to children is especially high,” stressed Gundel.
Furthermore, the researchers found that third-hand smoke is particularly insidious because it’s extremely difficult to eradicate, and is often detected in dust and surfaces more than two months after someone has smoked in an area. Everyday cleaning methods that include wiping, vacuuming and ventilation are not effective in lowering nicotine contamination.
“You can do some things to reduce the odours, but it’s very difficult to get rid of completely. The best solution is to substitute materials, such as change the carpets or repaint,” said co-author Hugo Destaillats.
By using two common in vitro tests, the Berkley team found that third-hand smoke can cause both DNA strand breaks and oxidative DNA damage, which can lead to gene mutation.
They were able to prove that third-hand smoke also becomes more harmful over time.
To do this, they put down paper strips in two smoking chambers. The acute samples were then exposed to five lit cigarettes over 20 minutes, while the chronic samples were exposed to cigarette smoke for 258 hours over 196 days. During that time, the ‘chronic’ chamber was intermittently ventilated for at least 35 hours.
The compounds were extracted from the paper with a culture medium, which was used to make a culture with human cells. The concentrations of the compounds were then measured.
The researchers found that the concentrations of more than half of the compounds studied were higher in the chronic samples than in the acute samples. More DNA damage was also caused by the chronic samples.
"This proves that the cumulative effects of third-hand smoke are quite significant. Our findings suggest the materials could be getting more toxic with time," co-author Lara Gundel added.
What is third-hand smoke?
• It is created by tobacco smoke that lingers after a cigarette has been smoked.
• It’s called third-hand because it is created after second-hand smoke has disappeared.
• Third-hand smoke is absorbed especially well by fabrics, but will stick to almost all surfaces.
• Humans are vulnerable to its compounds through skin contact, inhalation and ingestion.
• It’s especially harmful to crawling children, because it also settles on carpets.
When earlier research pointed to the dangers of second-hand smoke, many smokers saw it as a ploy by anti-tobacco lobbyists to further marginalise them. Many smokers are considerate towards non-smokers, but because of the ones who couldn’t care less, stricter smoking laws are being put in place worldwide to keep smokers in their place.
And you’d think that with these laws we finally managed to address the dangers of smoking, right? Wrong!
New research proves that the smelly residue (third-hand smoke) which sticks to almost all surfaces long after the second-hand smoke has cleared out can actually cause significant long-term genetic damage to human cells.
"Ours is the very first study to confirm that third-hand smoke is mutagenic," said Lara Gundel, who is part of the team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in the USA.
Chemical compounds found in third-hand smoke are among the most potent carcinogens around, and are capable of causing most cancers in humans, according to the findings, which were published in the journal Mutagenesis.
Everyone’s at risk
Everyone can be exposed to the lingering toxic particles through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion. “They [third-hand smoke compounds] cling to surfaces, and when those surfaces are clothing or carpets, the danger to children is especially high,” stressed Gundel.
Furthermore, the researchers found that third-hand smoke is particularly insidious because it’s extremely difficult to eradicate, and is often detected in dust and surfaces more than two months after someone has smoked in an area. Everyday cleaning methods that include wiping, vacuuming and ventilation are not effective in lowering nicotine contamination.
“You can do some things to reduce the odours, but it’s very difficult to get rid of completely. The best solution is to substitute materials, such as change the carpets or repaint,” said co-author Hugo Destaillats.
By using two common in vitro tests, the Berkley team found that third-hand smoke can cause both DNA strand breaks and oxidative DNA damage, which can lead to gene mutation.
They were able to prove that third-hand smoke also becomes more harmful over time.
To do this, they put down paper strips in two smoking chambers. The acute samples were then exposed to five lit cigarettes over 20 minutes, while the chronic samples were exposed to cigarette smoke for 258 hours over 196 days. During that time, the ‘chronic’ chamber was intermittently ventilated for at least 35 hours.
The compounds were extracted from the paper with a culture medium, which was used to make a culture with human cells. The concentrations of the compounds were then measured.
The researchers found that the concentrations of more than half of the compounds studied were higher in the chronic samples than in the acute samples. More DNA damage was also caused by the chronic samples.
"This proves that the cumulative effects of third-hand smoke are quite significant. Our findings suggest the materials could be getting more toxic with time," co-author Lara Gundel added.
