PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Third-hand smoke shown to cause health problems

UC Riverside-led study shows third-hand smoke causes hyperactivity and significant damage in liver, lung; delays healing of wounds

2014-01-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside
Third-hand smoke shown to cause health problems UC Riverside-led study shows third-hand smoke causes hyperactivity and significant damage in liver, lung; delays healing of wounds RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Do not smoke and do not allow yourself to be exposed to smoke because second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke are just as deadly as first-hand smoke, says a scientist at the University of California, Riverside who, along with colleagues, conducted the first animal study of the effects of third-hand smoke.

While first-hand smoke refers to the smoke inhaled by a smoker and second-hand smoke to the exhaled smoke and other substances emanating from the burning cigarette that can get inhaled by others, third-hand smoke is the second-hand smoke that gets left on the surfaces of objects, ages over time and becomes progressively more toxic.

"We studied, on mice, the effects of third-hand smoke on several organ systems under conditions that simulated third-hand smoke exposure of humans," said Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology who led the study. "We found significant damage occurs in the liver and lung. Wounds in these mice took longer to heal. Further, these mice displayed hyperactivity."

Study results appear in PLOS ONE.

The results of the study provide a basis for studies on the toxic effects of third-hand smoke in humans and serve to inform potential regulatory policies aimed at preventing involuntary exposure to third-hand smoke.

Third-hand smoke is a potential health threat to children, spouses of smokers and workers in environments where smoking is, or has been, allowed. Contamination of the homes of smokers by third-hand smoke is high, both on surfaces and in dust, including children's bedrooms. Re-emission of nicotine from contaminated indoor surfaces in these households can lead to nicotine exposure levels similar to that of smoking. Third-hand smoke, which contains strong carcinogens, has been found to persist in houses, apartments and hotel rooms after smokers move out.

The team led by Martins-Green found that the mice exposed to third-hand smoke in the lab showed alterations in multiple organ systems and excreted levels of a tobacco-specific carcinogen similar to those found in children exposed to second-hand smoke (and consequently to third-hand smoke):

In the liver, third-hand smoke was found to increase lipid levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a precursor to cirrhosis and cancer and a potential contributor to cardiovascular disease. In the lungs, third-hand smoke was found to simulate excess collagen production and high levels of inflammatory cytokines (small proteins involved in cell signaling), suggesting propensity for fibrosis with implications for inflammation-induced diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. In wounded skin, healing in mice exposed to third-hand smoke showed many characteristics of the kind of poor healing observed in human smokers who have gone through surgery. Finally, in behavioral tests the mice exposed to third-hand smoke showed hyperactivity. "The latter data, combined with emerging associated behavioral problems in children exposed to second- and third-hand smoke suggests that with prolonged exposure, they may be at significant risk for developing more severe neurological disorders," Martins-Green said.

Although the potential risks attributed to third-hand smoke exposure are increasing, virtually nothing was known about the specific health implications of acute or cumulative exposure — until now.

"There is a critical need for animal experiments to evaluate biological effects of exposure to third-hand smoke that will inform subsequent human epidemiological and clinical trials," Martins-Green said. "Such studies can determine potential human health risks, design of clinical trials and potentially can contribute to policies that lead to reduction in both exposure and disease."

Her research team was surprised to find that the damage caused by third-hand smoke extends to several organs in the body.

"More recently we have found that exposure to third-hand smoke results in changes that can lead to type II diabetes even when the person is not obese," Martins-Green said. "There is still much to learn about the specific mechanisms by which cigarette smoke residues harm nonsmokers, but that there is such an effect is now clear. Children in environments where smoking is, or has been allowed, are at significant risk for suffering from multiple short-term and longer health problems, many of which may not manifest fully until later in life."

Research has shown that children living with one or two adults who smoke in the home, where second- and third-hand smoke are abundant, are absent 40 percent more days from school due to illness than children who did not live with smokers.

The first complete ban in the world on indoor smoking in all public spaces — including bars and restaurants — occurred in 1990 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Earlier this month, UC Riverside joined the rest of the University of California campuses and facilities by going smoke- and tobacco-free. No tobacco use of any kind is allowed on campus property, a policy that extends to electronic cigarettes also.

Martins-Green was joined in the research by Neema Adhami, Michael Frankos, Mathew Valdez, Benjamin Goodwin, Julia Lyubovitsy, Sandeep Dhall, Monika Garcia, Ivie Egiebor, Bethanne Martinez, Harry W. Green and Margarita Curras-Collazo at UCR; Christopher Havel, Lisa Yu, Neal Benowitz, and Peyton Jacob III at UC San Francisco; Sandy Liles, Melbourne Hovell and Georg Matt at San Diego State University; Hugo Destaillats, Mohammed Sleiman and Laura A. Gundel at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Calif.; and Jonathan P. Winickoff at Harvard Medical School, Mass.

Martins-Green's lab collaborated with Curras-Collazo's lab to evaluate the effects on mice of third-hand smoke.

INFORMATION:

The research was funded by a grant to Martins-Green from the California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program.

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New study finds differences in concussion risk between football helmets

2014-01-31
Football helmets can be designed to reduce the risk of concussions, according to a new study by some of the nation's leading concussion researchers published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The study ...

Secrets of potato blight evolution could help farmers fight back

2014-01-31
Scientists ...

Lemur lovers sync their scents

2014-01-31
DURHAM, N.C. -- The strength of a lemur couple's bond is reflected by the similarity of their scents, finds a new study. "It's like singing a duet, but with ...

New study finds no reason to replace fructose with glucose

2014-01-31
TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2014 – Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found there is no benefit in replacing fructose, the sugar most commonly blamed for obesity, with glucose in commercially prepared ...

Use of testosterone therapy linked to heart attacks in men under 65, study shows

2014-01-30
You may have seen one of the many advertisements geared toward men asking if they suffer from "low T" — low testosterone levels that, according to the ads, can result ...

Clinical study finds 'bubble CPAP' boosts neonatal survival rates

2014-01-30
HOUSTON -- (Jan. 29, 2014) -- The first clinical study of a low-cost neonatal breathing system created by Rice University bioengineering students ...

Researchers find novel approach for controlling deadly C. difficile infections

2014-01-30
Researchers from the Alberta Glycomics Centre at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, ...

Precise gene editing in monkeys paves the way for valuable human disease models

2014-01-30
Monkeys are important for modeling diseases because of their close similarities to humans, but past efforts to precisely modify genes in primates have failed. In a study published by Cell Press ...

Cell cycle speed is key to making aging cells young again

2014-01-30
A fundamental axiom of biology used to be that cell fate is a one-way street — once a cell commits to becoming muscle, skin, or blood it always remains muscle, skin, or blood cell. That belief was upended ...

Mount Sinai researchers identify UHRF1 as oncogene driving liver cancer

2014-01-30
New York, NY – Patients with advanced hepatocellular (or liver) cancer ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults

Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds

Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds

Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

[Press-News.org] Third-hand smoke shown to cause health problems
UC Riverside-led study shows third-hand smoke causes hyperactivity and significant damage in liver, lung; delays healing of wounds