We are learning more and more about the harmful effect of smoking. Even third-hand smoke, the particles that smokers spread when the cigarette is long out, is poisonous to those who come into contact with it. We wonder: can you clean stuff with third-hand smoke? For example, a second-hand car or a smoked-out cabinet from Marktplaats. Epidemiologist Esther Croes explains.
Third-hand smoke unhealthy
Everyone knows that smoking is very unhealthy. Almost everyone is also aware of the risks of secondhand smoke. But third-hand smoke is also harmful to health. Third-hand smoke refers to the harmful substances that a smoker still spreads when he has already finished smoking tobacco. For example, the smoke that has settled on furniture and on the floor in the room if smoked the day before. Or the substances that remain on a smoker’s hands. The smoker spreads these substances in non-smoking areas by touching objects or food. Third-hand smoke is more harmful than you might think. Researchers estimate that 5 to 60 percent of the harm from secondhand smoke actually comes from third-hand smoke.
Cleaning third-hand smoke on stuff
Third-hand smoke doesn’t just enter your home through smokers, it can also enter through stuff. For example, through second-hand furniture, second-hand cars, or because you move to a house where smokers have lived. Do you have to put these things out the door immediately if you find out that there is smoke on them, or can you also clean them? Epidemiologist Esther Croes of the Trimbos Institute explains.
How harmful is a piece of furniture that has been in a smoker’s home? Or a used car that has been smoked in?
According to Esther Croes, how harmful an object contaminated with third-hand smoke is depends on the material. “How easily can the object absorb harmful substances? Curtains, upholstered chairs and fabric sofas take up a lot. That is less with an iron case. But in an antique cabinet with porous wood, toxic substances will penetrate deeply.” The degree of exposure also matters, according to Croes. Was the cupboard in a house where people smoked inside every day for 15 years, or was this a one-off? “How harmful third-hand smoke is is very dose-dependent.”
Are items with third-hand smoke more dangerous if they smell strongly?
“If your used cupboard or car smells of smoke, it is certain that smoke particles are being released into the air. But there are 5,000 substances in tobacco smoke. There are also substances that are odorless but harmful. And some substances smell strongly but are therefore not the most harmful. So I don’t have an answer to this question. Remember that tobacco is always bad, even in unburnt form. Nicotine-based insecticides are banned because they are too harmful.”
Nicotine especially harmful to young children
“Because nicotine is very dangerous, especially for the nervous system. As a result, insects die, they become paralyzed so that they can no longer breathe. For that reason, nicotine is especially harmful to young children. It affects the brain. In humans, the brain continues to grow until they are 24 years old, and in development they are vulnerable to nicotine. Small children are at extra risk from third-hand smoke. That’s because they often put things in their mouths. And they crawl on the floor where smoke particles can settle.”
Can you clean third-hand smoke?
Cleaning smoke third-hand is difficult, explains the epidemiologist. “Even with extensive cleaning, 40 percent of third-hand smoke remains. The substance can even be found in clean and protected places, such as in incubators in hospitals.” The material also does not break down easily on its own. “It lasts for a long time, up to a year and a half. The used car industry has all kinds of ways to remove smoke odor from cars. But that doesn’t eliminate all toxic substances. If you clean a brown smoke stain, and you see that the stain is gone, there is at least less tar than there was before. That is good. Third-hand smoke easily adheres to house dust. It is therefore wise to make items made of textiles dust-free by washing them.”
Can you store food in a cabinet with third-hand smoke?
“I don’t think it’s wise to put unpackaged food on surfaces with third-hand smoke. But too little research has been done on third-hand smoke, so I don’t know how harmful that is. Since third-hand smoke is especially bad for small children, I wouldn’t store baby clothes or toys in smoke-contaminated closets. People with small children should be careful buying a house where previous occupants have smoked. But if you are already fifty or sixty, such a house will not shorten your life.”
Spreading third-hand smoke
Would you like to know more about third-hand smoke and how it can spread through a house? The Ministry of Health made a video about this subject in which two families put the test.
Now government measures are needed for a healthier lifestyle