Essence of Smoking
The essence of smoking is inhaling and exhaling the fumes created through the burning of a product. The smoke produced comes from a diversity of sources, including pipes, drugs, cigars or cigarettes.
Pollutant
An air pollutant is a waste or chemical product that contaminates the air. Environmental tobacco smoke is categorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a carcinogen.
Features
Smoke consists of small particles that ascend from a burning substance. The World Health Organization states that there are 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, with 50 shown as carcinogens. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this type of smoke may include "small amounts of radioactive materials." The inhaled particles stick in the tissue of the lungs. These are polonium-210 and lead-210.
Tobacco Smoke
There are three aspects to the smoke produced by smoking. The first is referred to as first-hand smoke, which is inhaled by the smoker. This is the smoke that is produced by the burning of a product and the paper it may be wrapped in. The smoke that is exhales and the smoke that burns off from the substance is second-hand smoke. The smoke containing particles that settles on the surrounding area is third-hand smoke.
Exposure
The time it takes to smoke one cigarette is approximately five minutes. During this time the burning tobacco smoke produces 7 to 23 milligrams of particles.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations statistics show that there were 1.1 billion smokers in 1998. One billion smoked cigarettes increase air pollution 7 to 23 grams worldwide. There is an expected increase to 1.3 billion smokers by 2110.
Expert Insight
A news release dated September 8, 2003, titled "PET Scans Show Cigarette Smoke Affects Peripheral Organs" from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, states:
"It is well known that smoking cigarettes can directly and often fatally damage the lungs. But new research ... shows that cigarette smoke also decreases levels of a critical enzyme called monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) in the kidneys, heart, lungs, and spleen. Too much or too little of this crucial enzyme can have an effect on a person's mental or physical health."
Misconceptions
Repace Associates conducted experiments on outside air quality and the association with second-hand smoke. The study shows that smoking outside doesn't mean that the smoke is dispersed. Concentrations of smoke where the smokers are can remain in an area and present hazards.
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