New experimentation that monitors aerial pollutants inside a nonsmoking cinema shows that dangerous cigarette fumes that waft off moviegoers can damage the quality of air. Those contaminants include carcinogen benzene, as well as the toxic aldehydes like formaldehyde, acrolein, and acetaldehyde.
Thirdhand smoke which tobacco residue releases on people's skin, clothing and hair, is an essential concern for public health.
The said research was reported early this month although it's not yet clear if the levels of exposure observed in this experimentation are sufficient to lead to severe health issues, or how much individuals can shield themselves from thirdhand smoke publicly.
The research was conducted in a nonsmoking well-ventilated cinema in Mainz, Germany, showing up to five movies each day. For four days, the research team used a mass spectrometer to take a chemical inventory of contaminants that exit the ceiling vents of the theater.
ALSO READ: Does Smoking Cause Depression?
Smoking Linked to R-Rated Films and Late Showings
These measurements presented that dilutions of tobacco-related compounds in the movie houses spiked after new crowds entered the place, specifically the audience for late showings and R-rated films. Perhaps, these audiences were more possible to have smoked or hang around other smokers before they arrived at the theater.
Past research had found traces of thirdhand smoke in apparently nonsmoking places. However, this is the first research work to catch humans in the act of exactly transmitting the pollution.
To judge the pollution's severity, Dre Genter, an environmental engineer from Yale University, and his colleagues observed the thirdhand smoke components' levels to the amounts of chemicals supposedly released if an individual was smoking inside the cinema.
While an R-rated film is showing, audiences got exposed to an equivalent of 10 cigarettes, worth of different dangerous compounds per hour, although the exact amount each member of the audience might inhale would rely on their position related to those who emit pollutants.
Poorer Ventilation
Averagely, audiences got exposed to "eight cigarettes' worth of benzene and for cigars' worth of acetaldehyde each hour. Such differences in levels of exposure take place as some chemicals detach from the bodies and clothes of people more easily compared to others.
Peter DeCarlo, one of the air quality scientists at Johns Hopkins University said, this clearly shows that people get another exposure to cigarette smoke chemicals in venues where no one would expect them.
Moreover, although thirdhand smoke is not posing a remarkable risk to moviegoers, cinemas are not possible to ban smokers of their family and friends from purchasing tickets. Instead, the experiment findings may inform the manner of behavior of the smokers at their respective homes.
When thirdhand smoke is predicted to be more powerful because of poorer ventilation and confined spaces. This was according to Hugo Detaillats, a Lawrence Berkeley National University environmental chemist. Lastly, people can think twice about smoking inside their house even when nobody else is around. They would think thoroughly so if they know the possible risks that their smoke may pose even after their cigar has been stubbed out.