Is smoke residue on walls and furniture as harmful as second-hand smoke?
Paris — The first solid evidence that smoking caused cancer came in the 1950s, followed decades later by revelations that "second-hand" smoke also harmed health. On Friday, scientists issued a warning about what they called "third-hand" smoke (THS) — the sticky residue from tobacco puffing that clings to walls and furniture. In mice, at least, exposure to these toxic leftovers causes lower infant weight and alters counts of blood cells associated with the body’s immune system, they reported in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. "Evidence is mounting that the residue lingering on indoor surfaces could be just as harmful — if not more — than second-hand smoke," said the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which took part in the study. Researchers from the US and China tested the biological response of mice to THS in lab conditions designed to mimic exposure in a smokers’ home. Based on what they found, there could be reason to fear for the safety of infants who can pick up toxi...
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