Wher after a party or a long evening with friends – if your own apartment is smoky, it must first be aired. What many people do not know: rooms are not clean yet. Because in smoke rooms is not only air full of nicotine. Parts of tobacco smoke are also fixed on furniture, wallpaper or in carpet. There y remain in spite of airing for months, as a new study shows (Tobacco control: Matt et al., 2018).
Researchers at San Diego State University investigated a casino in California, where y smoked for years every day. After a smoking ban in year 2014, nicotine load in indoor air decreased quickly, scientists noted. On surfaces and in soil dust y found nicotine, particles and tobacco-specific nitrosamines but still months later. For ir study, which was published in magazine Tobacco control, researchers had studied at eight different places in casino, where y took samples twice before and six times after smoking ban.
The tobacco residue on surfaces is called cold tobacco smoke, in English third-hand smoke (ths). For ir study, US scientists also wanted to know what people are absorbing from se residues. Using modern methods of analysis, y found that values here were also initially significantly decreased. However, six months after smoking ban, nine non-smokers tested after a four-hour casino visit had higher ths values on fingers and in urine than non-smokers from smoking-free environments.
"For years, layers of smoke residues are stuck on surfaces and penetrate deeply into materials," summarises studies by author Georg Matt. Although powerful air conditioners could improve air quality quickly. But or residues remained. After a smoking ban, casinos could only work by intensive surface cleaning or even changing furnishings, especially carpets and wallpapers, to ensure that guests do not counterpart tobacco residues, says Matt. "Tobacco should never be smoked in rooms if you are not prepared to pay price for a detailed cleaning."
Possible long-term consequences vonkaltem Tabakrauchfür health is hardly investigated so far. The German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) recommends preventing contact. Indoors should basically not be smoked, outside door only with enough distance to house. Even before direct contact with children, smokers should withhold, advises DKFZ. Only in this way can it be prevented that pollutants deposited from tobacco smoke are released from clothing and hair.
In Germany re have been no smoking bans in gastronomy for ten years. In companies that have been smoke-free for so long, burden of cold Tabakrauchinzwischen is negligible, says Katrin Schaller from DKFZ. But if a place where smoked is to be used smoke-free, a thorough renovation makes sense.
Date Of Update: 12 February 2018, 12:03
