Tobacco.org

Smoking may pose 'third-hand' cancer hazard 

Residues of cigarette smoke deposited on indoor surfaces can turn carcinogenic when they react with airborne chemicals. This "third-hand" exposure could in theory cause health problems, particularly in children, says Hugo Destaillats, a specialist in indoor pollution at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

His team found several chemicals on the inside of the cab of a half-pack-a-day smoker's truck, including a carcinogen called a NNK. Destaillats's team reckon that NNK is produced when nicotine from tobacco smoke reacts with nitrous acid in the air.

To test the theory, the team deposited either nicotine or tobacco smoke on sheets of paper, and exposed them to nitrous acid. In both cases this produced the same chemicals found in the smoker's cab.

"Nicotine can persist on indoor surfaces for days, weeks and even months," says Destaillats. Young children who spend a lot of time on the floor could absorb these compounds through their skin, and the researchers argue that this means people should not smoke in homes and cars, and should replace nicotine-laden furniture and carpets.

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