6533b7d9fe1ef96bd126b9e4
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Third-hand smoke exposure and health hazards in children
Giovanni ViegiGiuseppe LiottaFabio CibellaM. SimoniGiuliana FerranteS. La GruttaGiovanni CorselloF. FerraraVelia Maliziasubject
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicinemedicine.medical_specialtyPassive smokinglcsh:MedicineSettore MED/10 - Malattie Dell'Apparato Respiratoriomedicine.disease_causeTobacco smokeHazardous SubstancesThird-hand smokeSettore MED/38 - Pediatria Generale E SpecialisticaEnvironmental tobacco smokeEnvironmental healthmedicineHumansEnvironmental tobacco smoke Children Lung development Asthma Tobacco control Indoor environment Third-hand smoke.Active smokingThird-hand smokeChildChildrenSmokebusiness.industryPublic healthTobacco controllcsh:RIndoor environmentThird-hand smoke.AsthmaHuman exposureLung developmentTobacco Smoke PollutionTobacco controlCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicinebusinessdescription
Smoking still represents a huge public health problem. Millions of children suffer the detrimental effects of passive smoking. An increasing number of countries have recently issued laws to regulate smoking in public places. Instead, homes remain a site where children are dangerously exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The combination of tobacco smoke pollutants which remain in an indoor environment, the so-called ‘third-hand smoke’ (THS), represent a new concept in the field of tobacco control. THS consists of pollutants that remain on surfaces and in dust after tobacco has been smoked, are re-emitted into the gas-phase, or react with other compounds in the environment to form secondary pollutants. Indoor surfaces can represent a hidden reservoir of THS constituents that could be re-emitted long after the cessation of active smoking. Human exposure to THS pollutants has not yet been thoroughly studied. Infants and children are more prone to the risks related to THS exposure than adults because they typically spend more time indoors and have age-specific behaviours that may expose them to potential health hazards from THS. Further investigations are warranted to study the health effects of THS relevant to different exposure pathways and profiles. It would also be very important to evaluate how THS may affect the lung development through the in utero exposure during the pre-natal life. We aimed at reviewing recent findings published about THS, with special reference to the effects on children’s health.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-01 |