Third hand smoke?

[PaulaSB12]

Anyone else heard the reports on this? I had never heard of it, but now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html

Thoughts?

Marsha

Drivel, what next fourth hand smoke? You probably get worse by putting children in strollers which usually put the child's head right next to the exhaust pipe of cars but no one worries about that. Lets stop the health scares because people have stopped listening to them.

 

[SeaSpray]

I don't know to what degree the harm from the residual smell from cigarettes can be, but I can say that people smell smoke on ME all of the time, and I don't smoke. DH smokes, and in the house he limits himself to his home office, but eventually the smoke permeates throughout the house and sticks to EVERYTHING, including the clean clothes hanging in my closets and in the dressers.

DH has never smoked in my minivan (which we bought new) but because of the smell of the cigarettes on my clothing (and DH's and DSs' clothing) it is now in the van. My purse smells like smoke...basically everything that comes out of my home unfortunately smells like smoke, to some degree.

I know there's no easy answer other than to wait for the day when smoking is no more....

 

[shortbun]

Are there residual chemicals...of course. But, are the minute concentrations of those chemicals an actual health hazard...that is certainly questionable. Some (I would bet most) of the chemicals they list as being in this "third hand smoke" are in our environment and foods anyway...if the concentrations are tiny, the increased risk is negligible.

For instance there is cyanide in almonds, and carbon monoxide in car exhaust. Either can kill you if your exposure is great enough...but so far, they haven't banned almonds or cars.

Have you ever painted a wall in a house where people smoke? The residue is not so 'minute' and I'm guessing the chemical residue is just as thick as it's blown all around as well.

Kids get on my school bus stinking like cigarettes. I always ask them if they have a parent who smokes. I have had to ask parents not to smoke at the bus stop. I have one stop where I pick up about 24 kids and three moms who were standing amidst all the children smoking every morning. It's not like health hazards from smoking/2nd hand are rumors and there these women were, smoking away for all they were worth. I still see one of them running their child across the street-cigarette in one hand and holding their child's hand in the other.

 

[sue1013]

After reading this thread and the linked article I wonder how I can possibly still be walking around. I and the majority of the kids I grew up with lived in homes where both parents smoked. They didn't open windows even in the car. Mothers smoked in the hospital after giving birth. Everywhere you went people were smoking. I'm not saying smoking is good for anyone to be around but I do think there is alot of overreaction.

 

[Disney Ella]

If you can smell it, it can't be good.

Last year my wife went up to New York and stayed with her sister, a smoker. Even though she rarely smokes in the house, the stink comes in on her and her clothes. When my wife got back she had to wash even the clothes she didn't wear because they absorbed the smoke smell even though they were nowhere near the smoking.

When the same sister (and any other smoker) comes here to visit, all smoking takes place outside, yet the smell comes in with her and clings to any fabric she gets within ten feet of. We have to clean and Fabreeze everything after she leaves. If you can smell it, whatever bad things it carries get not only in your nose, but your lungs.

I'm sure smokers don't realize they stink because it's with them constantly. Fortunately, we're inching closer to becoming a smoke-free world.

That's what happens when my MIL visits. The whole house reeks because of the cigarette smell she brings in on her clothes. It is a problem for me because cigarette smoke bothers my asthma. I have to agree with what Shortbun said about cigarette residue on walls. When we were looking for a house, we saw one house that belonged to a family of smokers. The walls were supposed to be white, but they were covered with a heavy yellow film from the smoke. Someone would have had to have done a lot of work to get the smell out of that house. Anyone with allergies or asthma would have a tough time living in a place like that.

 

[Darsa]

I, personally, just can't imagine walking around SMELLING like that. Seriously, why would you go to all the trouble making yourself look good and smell good with all these expensive products... then light a cigarrette and ruin it all?

And now we find that it's unhealthy on top of it all.

 

[Chuck S]

Have you ever painted a wall in a house where people smoke? The residue is not so 'minute' and I'm guessing the chemical residue is just as thick as it's blown all around as well.

Kids get on my school bus stinking like cigarettes. I always ask them if they have a parent who smokes. I have had to ask parents not to smoke at the bus stop. I have one stop where I pick up about 24 kids and three moms who were standing amidst all the children smoking every morning. It's not like health hazards from smoking/2nd hand are rumors and there these women were, smoking away for all they were worth. I still see one of them running their child across the street-cigarette in one hand and holding their child's hand in the other.

I sure have. I've even seen smoke residue dripping from a ceiling. But, at the same time, we don't know what, if any actual health hazard it actually presents in that sticky tar form, or if the chemicals are in a high enough concentration, even in that form, that occasional contact would have toxic affects to a healthy individual. Again, at what concentration do these chemicals present a health hazard? And do our bodies naturally filter them out at those concentrations? How many of us oldsters played with mercury from a broken thermometer, or came into contact with formaldehyde while dissecting something in biology class without ill affects? Yet these same substances cause a paniced call to a hazmat squad today.

And really, if this smoke is as dangerous 2nd, 3rd or 4th handed as they are saying, why are cigarretes still even on the market? They can remove lead paint and asbestos, but they can't stop the sale of cigarettes? Again, not to say the stale smell of smoke isn't stinky, it is, but stinky doesn't necessarily mean it is a health risk.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I sure have. I've even seen smoke residue dripping from a ceiling. But, at the same time, we don't know what, if any actual health hazard it actually presents in that sticky tar form, or if the chemicals are in a high enough concentration, even in that form, that occasional contact would have toxic affects to a healthy individual. Again, at what concentration do these chemicals present a health hazard? And do our bodies naturally filter them out at those concentrations? How many of us oldsters played with mercury from a broken thermometer, or came into contact with formaldehyde while dissecting something in biology class without ill affects? Yet these same substances cause a paniced call to a hazmat squad today.

And really, if this smoke is as dangerous 2nd, 3rd or 4th handed as they are saying, why are cigarretes still even on the market? They can remove lead paint and asbestos, but they can't stop the sale of cigarettes? Again, not to say the stale smell of smoke isn't stinky, it is, but stinky doesn't necessarily mean it is a health risk.

The tobacco lobby is extremely strong and has a great deal of money. That would be one reason why they can't get cigarettes off the market. Also, the outcry from smokers themselves would be too great.
I can look at this issue from both sides. I have seen the yellow walls that smoking causes because my dad is a heavy smoker. I have also seen the ill effects on health, both his (he now has COPD and emphysema) and my own (I grew up in that house and riding in cars with the windows closed and him smoking and I have asthma. Riding in a car with the window shut with him is the only thing that has ever made me nauseated/car-sick.)
However, I also think it's a personal right and it's something that my boyfriend does. I knew he was a smoker but when I got to know him, I still fell in love with him. It wasn't a relationship that started out as me looking for someone to date. I will say, though, that he does not smoke in my roommate's house and yet when he leaves I can still smell smoke on my hands just from touching him.

 

[bgirldeb]

I'm a non-smoker, but I've never been one to complain about smelling cigarette smoke. I actually like the way it smells outside. Probably because it reminds me of family get togethers in the summer when I was a kid, but once when I was in the hospital, I hated it when a certain physician assistant was there because she would come in to take my vitals every few hours or so, she reaked of cigarettes, and when she puts a thermometer in your mouth with the hand she obviously used to hold a cigarette, you have to breathe through your nose! I wasn't there for respiratory issues, but did have a cold, and let me tell you it was NOT pleasant!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I don't think anyone is saying that not smoking isn't the best option. They just aren't agreeing that some exposure to the low amounts of residual chemicals is necessarily harmful (or more harmful) to long term health than what is already in our daily environment and food chain. Nor is anyone saying that the smell doesn't linger on clothing, skin, hair and any other porous material or furnishing, just that while the smell is unpleasant, so is the smell of a lot of things in our environment that aren't banned. But people react differently if it is cigarette smoke.

I haven't smoked in many years, and I hate the smell, but at the same time, I don't think getting an occasional whiff of smoke in passing someone on the sidewalk, or being exposed to the residual (and very unpleasent) odors and chemicals is doing significant damage to my health. The exceptions, of course, would be those folks that truly have allergies to smoke or specific health problems where the smell of smoke triggers a reaction. I kind of compare it to the lingering scent of a skunk. It smells bad, and contains residual chemicals...but the amount of exposure is low enough that unless you are directly sprayed, there are not necessarily negative affects to your health

But here is the thing. If you live with a smoker and that person only smokes outside but them comes in and sits on the furniture etc. then you are not ingesting low amounts. Over time it becomes more concentrated. It is not like a one time houseguest. Those chemicals linger on their skin and clothing. That rubs off on everything in that home that they touch.

Exactly...we aren't talking about someone walking by on occassion or visiting a place where smokers have gathered... they are talking about smokers living in the home. And, I believe they referred more to infant/toddlers than older children or adults in this particular survey. Its because infants and toddlers are being HELD by the smokers, they are on the ground where smoke settles, they are dependant on being near the remnants of smoke. Their little lungs aren't as developed as an adult and they are forced to remain in an area that reeks of smoke and unable to walk away as an older child or adult would.
Of course we can't control all the dangers around our air, but why not control what you can?

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

My DH smoked when we had our first dd. He never smoked around her, but our doctor recommended that when he did smoke, he change his clothing or wear a robe when he did. He said that the residual could increase ear infections in our DD.

 

[luvmy3]

I sure have. I've even seen smoke residue dripping from a ceiling. But, at the same time, we don't know what, if any actual health hazard it actually presents in that sticky tar form, or if the chemicals are in a high enough concentration, even in that form, that occasional contact would have toxic affects to a healthy individual. Again, at what concentration do these chemicals present a health hazard? And do our bodies naturally filter them out at those concentrations? How many of us oldsters played with mercury from a broken thermometer, or came into contact with formaldehyde while dissecting something in biology class without ill affects? Yet these same substances cause a paniced call to a hazmat squad today.

Even so, I'd have a hard time allowing my infant or toddler roll around on a floor or put them on the furniture in the home of a smoker, or let them touch a wall and then stick a finger in their mouth.Thats just visiting, I couldn't even imagine a small child having to live with that on an everyday basis

I can't say anything about the studies, but as the mom of an asthmatic I can say that he IS bothered when he is near someone who has just smoked. I don't need any scientific proof to tell me that its hazardous to him.

 

[C.Ann]

I don't think anyone is saying that not smoking isn't the best option. They just aren't agreeing that some exposure to the low amounts of residual chemicals is necessarily harmful (or more harmful) to long term health than what is already in our daily environment and food chain. Nor is anyone saying that the smell doesn't linger on clothing, skin, hair and any other porous material or furnishing, just that while the smell is unpleasant, so is the smell of a lot of things in our environment that aren't banned. But people react differently if it is cigarette smoke.

I haven't smoked in many years, and I hate the smell, but at the same time, I don't think getting an occasional whiff of smoke in passing someone on the sidewalk, or being exposed to the residual (and very unpleasent) odors and chemicals is doing significant damage to my health. The exceptions, of course, would be those folks that truly have allergies to smoke or specific health problems where the smell of smoke triggers a reaction. I kind of compare it to the lingering scent of a skunk. It smells bad, and contains residual chemicals...but the amount of exposure is low enough that unless you are directly sprayed, there are not necessarily negative affects to your health

Some of the chemicals become more concentrated, some naturally dissipate into the atmoshpere, and some will actually be absorbed into a non-smokers body through breathing and skin contact...but again, that doesn't necessarily indicate a health hazard in these trace amounts. Many (most) of the trace amounts of chemicals we come into contact with are continually and harmlessly flushed through our kidneys and liver filter system. As long as the concentrations remain below our body's natural ability to cleanse itself, the impact on our health should be minimal.

After reading this thread and the linked article I wonder how I can possibly still be walking around. I and the majority of the kids I grew up with lived in homes where both parents smoked. They didn't open windows even in the car. Mothers smoked in the hospital after giving birth. Everywhere you went people were smoking. I'm not saying smoking is good for anyone to be around but I do think there is alot of overreaction.

I often wonder this myself.. I'll be 60 in the fall and I remember the "old days" when the non-smokers were actually in the minority.. Since those times the smokers have become greatgrandparents; grandparents; parents; and adult children.. Very few have died of smoking-related illnesses or smoking related cancers - so one does have to wonder if it's actually been a combination of the addition of household chemicals and food additives that have caused so many problems recently (as in the past 20 years or so).. Did some digging around on the internet and can't say I was too surprised by what I found..

I sure have. I've even seen smoke residue dripping from a ceiling. But, at the same time, we don't know what, if any actual health hazard it actually presents in that sticky tar form, or if the chemicals are in a high enough concentration, even in that form, that occasional contact would have toxic affects to a healthy individual. Again, at what concentration do these chemicals present a health hazard? And do our bodies naturally filter them out at those concentrations? How many of us oldsters played with mercury from a broken thermometer, or came into contact with formaldehyde while dissecting something in biology class without ill affects? Yet these same substances cause a paniced call to a hazmat squad today.
.

Interesting info available on the internet if you really want to keep your children safe.. I would guess that the dangers of "third hand smoke" (with no data to show there has actually been harm caused) would be less than the following:


Food Additive Safety Codes

The following codes indicate the safety of the additives in the table below. Many additives have more than one code used to describe their safety. * GRAS - Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA.

§ FDA approved colorant

S There is no known toxicity. The additive appears to be safe.

A The additive may cause allergic reactions.

C Caution is advised. The additive may be unsafe, poorly tested, or used in foods we eat too much of.

C1 Caution is advised for certain groups in the population, such as pregnant women, infants, persons with high blood pressure, kidney problems, etc.

X The additive is unsafe or very poorly tested.


Some Common Food Additives

- X - Acesulfame-K - "Sunette"; may cause low blood sugar attacks; causes cancer, elevated cholesterol in lab animals.

- X - Acesulfame-potassium - same as acesulfame-K.

- C - Animal or vegetable shortening - associated with heart disease, hardening of the arteries, elevated cholesterol levels.

- X A Artificial color FD & C, U.S certified food color - contribute to hyperactivity in children; may contribute to learning and visual disorders, nerve damage; may be carcinogenic; see FD&C Colors.

- X A Artificial flavoring - may cause reproductive disorders, developmental problems; not adequately tested.

- X - Artificial sweeteners - associated with health problems; see specific sweetener.

- X - Aspartame - may cause brain damage in phenylketonurics; may cause central nervous system disturbances, menstrual difficulties; may affect brain development in unborn fetus.

* X A BHA - can cause liver and kidney damage, behavioral problems, infertility, weakened immune system, birth defects, cancer; should be avoided by infants, young children, pregnant women and those sensitive to aspirin.

* X A BHT - see BHA; banned in England.

- X A Brominated vegetable oil - linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems; considered unsafe by the FDA, can still lawfully be used unless further action is taken by the FDA .

* X - Caffeine - psychoactive, addictive drug; may cause fertility problems, birth defects, heart disease, depression, nervousness, behavioral changes, insomnia, etc.

§ X - FD&C Colors – colors considered safe by the FDA for use in food, drugs and cosmetics; most of the colors are derived from coal tar and must be certified by the FDA not to contain more than 10ppm of lead and arsenic; certification does not address any harmful effects these colors may have on the body; most coal tar colors are potential carcinogens, may contain carcinogenic contaminants, and cause allergic reactions.

- X - Free glutamates - may cause brain damage, especially in children; always found in autolyzed yeast, calcium caseinate, enzymes, flavors & flavorings, gelatin, glutamate, glutamic acid, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, plant protein extract, protease, protease enzymes, sodium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food and yeast nutrient; may be in barley malt, boullion, broth, carrageenan, malt extract, malt flavoring, maltodextrin, natural flavors, natural chicken flavoring, natural beef flavoring, natural pork flavoring, pectin, seasonings, soy protein, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, soy sauce, soy sauce extract, stock, whey protein, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, anything that is enzyme modified, fermented, protein fortified or ultrapasteurized and foods that advertise NO MSG; see MSG.

- X A Hydrogenated vegetable oil - associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol.

- X A Hydrolyzed vegetable protein - may cause brain and nervous system damage in infants; high salt content; may be corn, soy, or wheat based. Contains free glutamates.

* X A MSG - may cause headaches, itching, nausea, brain, nervous system, reproductive disorders, high blood pressure; pregnant, lactating mothers, infants, small children should avoid; allergic reactions common; may be hidden in infant formula, low fat milk, candy, chewing gum, drinks, over-the-counter medications, especially children’s, binders and fillers for nutritional supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs, IV fluids given in hospitals, chicken pox vaccine; it is being sprayed on growing fruits and vegetables as a growth enhancer; it is proposed for use on organic crops.

- X A Natural flavors - may be chemically extracted and processed and in combination with other food additives not required to be listed on the label; may contain free glutamates; see MSG.

- X - Nitrates - form powerful cancer-causing agents in stomach; can cause death; considered dangerous by FDA but not banned because they prevent botulism.

- X - Nitrites - may cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness; see nitrates.

These are only a few of the thousands of food additives commonly added to our food.
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The Rise in Chronic Illnesses in Adults and Children

Have we always been this sick? At the beginning of the twentieth century the cancer incidence rate was about one in fifty. Today one in three Americans will suffer with cancer, with that number expected to reach one in two in the twenty-first century. Cancer is the number two killer of adults and the leading cause of death from disease in children.2 Since 1977 the rate of cancer among American children has been steadily rising at a rate of nearly one percent per year!¹

The incidence of central nervous system disorders like Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis rises annually.

Birth defects are on the rise as well. Over 150,000 babies are born with defects each year for unknown reasons. Another 500,000 babies are miscarried early in pregnancy each year, with an additional 24,000 miscarried late in pregnancy, or still born.3 Infertility is increasing and widespread, with over two million couples who want children but are unable to conceive.4

Asthma was once a very rare disease. Now the condition is extremely common. The Asthma rate has tripled in the last twenty years with nearly 20 to 30 million Americans currently afflicted.5 Childhood asthma has increased by more than 40% since 1980. 6 Asthma deaths in children and young people increased by a dramatic 118% between 1980 and 1993.7

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in adults and children is also rising. In 1993, 4.5 million children took the drug Ritalin so they could sit still long enough to learn. By 1998, 11.4 million children were being drugged with this powerful narcotic.8

These statistics show that the overall health of our children is declining. Illnesses that didn't even exist when I was a child are now common. They are now so widespread that almost everyone knows a family with a child who suffers from asthma, cancer, learning disabilities, ADD, behavior disorders, or a rheumatoid disease. Could these illnesses be related to toxic chemical exposure?

Although other factors are involved, more and more scientists are linking these ailments to long-term chemical exposure, This rise in childhood diseases has been so dramatic that children's environmental health issues have now been recognized by Congress and federal agencies. In November 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that for the first time children would be considered in all EPA risk-assessment and standard-setting procedures. In April, 1997, President Clinton signed Executive Order #13045 on Children's Environmental Health and Safety requiring federal agencies to include children and their unique susceptibilities in standard-setting procedures.

Doctors now stress that early detection and removal of children from toxic exposures in their homes and schools are critical to successfully prevent or treat these illnesses. These doctors, scientists, and government agencies are all concerned about the health consequences of children being exposed to toxic chemicals. Shouldn't you be concerned, too?

Our Children are the guinea pigs for a dangerous experiment

According to Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., and Philip J. Landrigan, M. D., "Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment through new consumer commodities, industrial products, and food. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicological trial. And our children and their children are the experimental animals."

I don't think you would voluntarily take your children down to a laboratory and offer them as experimental subjects for toxic chemical testing. Yet that is exactly what is going on today, when we purchase many household products.

Your home is the #1 source of toxic chemicals
Because we spend 805 to 90% of our time indoors, and most of that at home, our own home is where we are most likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals.¹ This is especially true for young children, who spend even more time indoors than adults and older children.

Why are our homes so toxic? In the last two decades -- the same period during which childhood illness has increased -- there has been an alarming increase of toxic chemicals in household products, and for the first time we have been sealing our homes for energy efficiency. Weather-stripping and caulking do an excellent job of keeping the air you have heated or cooled inside your home. But the lack of openings for air to escape also traps chemical air pollutants, resulting in a greater concentration of pollutants indoors than out. EPS studies found that even in urban areas with high levels of industrial pollution the concentration of toxic chemicals was higher indoors than outdoors -- in some cases ten, twenty, thirty, and even up to seventy times higher indoors.!9

In 1987, the EPA undertook an ambitious program to identify and compare the urgency of environmental problems. The idea was that, with limited resources, the agency should be focusing on those pollutants that pose the greatest risk to society. among the top hazards were those found indoors, including exposure to cleaning products.9

Another study, conducted over a fifteen-year period, found that women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away from home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products.10 Obviously, the children in these homes were exposed to the same chemicals, with even greater risk for illness.
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The toxic household chemicals you store and use in your home every day may surprise you!

Go to your sink right now and take out one of the cleaners you use. Though companies are not required to list all chemical ingredients, many are listed.

Below is a list of toxic chemical ingredients to check for:

• Kerosene


• Phenol


• Cresol


• Lye


• Phosphoric acid


• Sodium hydroxide


• Hydrochloric acid


• Butyl cellosolve (2-Butoxyethanol)


• Formaldehyde


• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)


• Ammonia


• Sulfamic acid


• Petroleum distillates


• Sulfuric acid


• Lye (potassium hydroxide)


• Morpholine

Did you find any of these toxic substances listed on your products?

Are you pregnant or nursing and using caustic home cleaning products?

Are you involved in a cleaning career?

See specific types of products and the health risks they present.

Toxicity of Household Chemicals in Common Cleaners.

While effective cleaning can improve the healthfulness of indoor environments, studies show that use of some consumer cleaning agents can yield high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including glycol ethers--which are regulated toxic air contaminants—and terpenes that can react with ozone to form a variety of secondary pollutants including formaldehyde and ultrafine particles.

Some cleaning products and air fresheners have unhealthy emissions.

Persons involved in cleaning, especially those who clean occupationally or often, might encounter excessive exposures to these pollutants owing to cleaning product emissions.

Maternal exposure to toxic chemicals during pregnancy can disrupt development or even cause the death of the fetus. Effects can include birth defects, low birth weight, biological dysfunctions, or psychological or behavioral deficits that become manifest as the child grows.

Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (1998); Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (1999); Scorecard (2007).

Here's the List of Cleaning Products and Health Risks:

Many all-purpose cleaners contain neurotoxins and nasal irritants that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Synthetic solvents may cause hormone disruption.

Butyl Cellosolve (2-butoxyethanol, 2-butoxyethanol acetate or Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether). Butyl cellosolve is a high volume chemical with production exceeding 1 million pounds annually.

The general population is exposed to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate mainly by breathing air or having skin contact with liquids, particularly household cleaners, which contain these compounds. Butyl cellosolve is a toxic glycol ether chemical used in cleaning solutions.

Material Safety Data Sheet reports potential irritation and tissue damage from inhalation, ingestion, cutaneous, and/or ocular exposure. People who swallowed large amounts of cleaning agents containing Butyl cellosolve experienced breathing problems, low blood pressure, low levels of hemoglobin, acidic blood, and blood in the urine.

Formaldehyde Formaldehyde is a preservative found in many household products. Formaldehyde is an anticipated carcinogen.

Low levels of formaldehyde cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. People with asthma may be more sensitive to the effects of inhaled formaldehyde. Drinking large amounts of formaldehyde can cause severe pain, vomiting, coma, and possible death. In animal studies, rats developed nose cancer from formaldehyde.

Automatic Dishwasher Detergents. Some products contain dry chlorine that is activated when it encounters water in the dishwasher. Chlorine fumes are released in the steam that leaks out of the dishwasher, and can cause eye irritation.

Carpet Cleaners. Carpet cleaners can be extremely toxic to children; who tend to play and crawl around on carpets. The fumes given off by carpet cleaners can cause cancer and liver damage.

Carpet and upholstery cleaners accounted for 5397 poison exposures in 2005. The majority of these, exposures, over 3500, involved children under 6. Source:Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (2005).

Naphthalene Possible human carcinogen found in moth balls and metal polishes. Exposure to large amounts of napthalene may lead to hemolytic anemia. Napthalene may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the urine, and a yellow color to skin.

Mice that breathed naphthalene vapors daily for a lifetime developed lung tumors and some developed nose tumors. Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2005).

Bleach. The chemical known as hypochlorite in bleach causes more poisoning exposures than any other household cleaning substance. May cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders. Source: Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (2005).

Degreasers. Many degreasers contain petroleum distillates and butyl cellosolve; which can damage lung tissues and dissolve fatty tissue surrounding nerve cells.

Drain Cleaners. One of the most hazardous products in the home, drain cleaners often contain lye or sodium hydroxide; strong caustic substances that cause severe corrosive damage to eyes, skin, mouth and stomach, and can be fatal if swallowed.

Glass Cleaners. Ammonia is found in many glass cleaners and the ammonia fumes can irritate skin, eyes and the respiratory system. Ammonia based glass cleaners accounted for 6,356 poison exposures in 2005. Source: Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (2005).

Ammonia Exposure to high levels of ammonia in air may be irritating to your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs and cause coughing and burns. Asthma sufferers may be more sensitive to breathing ammonia than others.

Swallowing concentrated solutions of ammonia can cause burns in your mouth, throat, and stomach. Getting ammonia into the eyes can cause burns and even blindness. Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2004); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

Oven Cleaners. One of the most dangerous cleaning products, oven cleaners can cause severe damage to eyes, skin, mouth and throat. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry.

Sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide is very corrosive and can cause severe burns in all tissues that come in contact with it. Sodium hydroxide is odorless; thus, odor provides no warning of hazardous concentrations.

Inhalation of sodium hydroxide is immediately irritating to the respiratory tract. Swelling or spasms of the larynx leading to upper-airway obstruction and asphyxia can occur after high-dose inhalation. Inflammation of the lungs and an accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur.

Cancer of the esophagus has been reported 15 to 40 years after the formation of corrosion-induced strictures. Ingestion of solid or liquid forms of sodium hydroxide can cause spontaneous vomiting, chest and abdominal pain, and difficulty swallowing. Corrosive injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach is very rapid and may result in perforation, hemorrhage, and narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract.

Skin contact with sodium hydroxide can cause severe burns with deep ulcerations. Sodium hydroxide contact with the eye may produce pain and irritation, and in severe cases, clouding of the eye and blindness. Long-term exposure to sodium hydroxide in the air may lead to ulceration of the nasal passages and chronic skin irritation.

Scouring Cleansers. Some cleaners may contain sodium hydroxide or bleach that can irritate mucous membranes and cause liver and kidney damage.

Scale or Lime Removers. These are products designed to remove mineral buildup like lime, scale and soap scum. Source: ScienceLab.com.

Sulfamic Acid Sulfamic acid is toxic to lungs and mucous membranes. Direct skin contact with sulfamic acid is corrosive and causes irritation, dryness or burning. Eye contact can result in corneal damage or blindness.

Inhalation of sulfamic acid will produce irritation to gastro-intestinal or respiratory tract with burning, sneezing or coughing. Severe over exposure of sulfamic acid can produce lung damage, choking, unconsciousness or death.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners. One of the most dangerous cleaning products, toilet bowl cleaners can contain chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Harmful to health simply by breathing during use. Toilet Bowl Cleaners accounted for 10,461 poison exposures in 2005. Source: Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (2005).

Hydrochloride/ Hydrochloric Acid (HCI) HCI can cause severe damage to skin and eyes. Brief exposure to low levels of HCI vapor causes throat irritation. Exposure to higher levels of HCI can result in rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchioles, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, and even death.

Exposure to even higher levels of HCI can cause swelling, spasm of the throat and suffocation. Some people exposed to HCI may develop an inflammatory reaction called reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma caused by some irritating or corrosive substances.

Swallowing HCI causes severe corrosive injury to the lips, mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2007). Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents. Volume III, Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposures; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.


I know this is an extremely long read - and I didn't even touch on when you paint inside your homes, use your gas fireplaces, etc. - but I think it's pretty clear from the above that "third hand smoke" is far likely less of a concern than all of the above..

No one is advocating smoking in the presence of children - or the possible harmful effects of secondhand smoke - but until there is data linking "third hand smoke" to the available data above, it's likely much less of a concern than what you are choosing to expose them (and yourselves) to every day of your lives..

If third hand smoke is of concern to you, definitely make whatever changes you see fit - but at the same time, if you are truly concerned about the health of your loved ones, you might also want to change as many of the more serious things listed above as you possibly can..