Thirdhand smoke is a ‘silent threat’ to kids

Thirdhand smoke, a phenomenon where chemical residue from smoking lingers in surfaces, may be underestimated by parents as a source of environmental tobacco smoke exposure to their children.
A new study found that despite caregivers reporting no exposure to ETS, all children tested positive for low levels of cotinine, indicating they were exposed to thirdhand smoke.
Thirdhand smoke can be inhaled through disturbed fabric fibers or ingested by touching contaminated surfaces and then putting hands in mouths, posing a silent threat to children’s health, particularly those with asthma.
The study highlights the need for more research on thirdhand smoke prevalence and health risks, as well as alternative methods of assessing children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, such as screening for biomarkers like cotinine.
Underestimating thirdhand smoke exposure can lead to misclassification of asthma management and delay critical interventions, emphasizing the importance of accurate assessments and proper interventions to protect children’s health.

A mother helps her young child with an asthma inhaler.

A new study finds that parents may underestimate their children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and a newly identified phenomenon called thirdhand smoke may be to blame.

Thirdhand smoke occurs when chemical residue from smoking lingers in carpets, furniture. and walls long after the cigarette was lit.

Children can inhale these particles by disturbing fabric fibers while playing or ingest them by touching contaminated surfaces and then putting their hands in their mouths.

The study in the Journal of Clinical and Translational SciencexA0surveyed caregivers of 162 children in three major US cities. Although 60% says their children had no exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), urine testing showed that all of the children tested positive for low levels of cotinine, which forms when nicotine is broken down in the body and is a biomarker of tobacco exposure. More than 90% of the children tested positive for intermediate levels of cotinine.

While the study couldn’t conclusively distinguish if the children were exposed to secondhand or thirdhand smoke, the caregiver surveys point to a less obvious source of tobacco smoke exposure, says lead author Katherine McKeon, PhD candidate at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

“These findings do not imply that the parents are lying but rather speak to the invasive nature of thirdhand smoke and how difficult it is to remove from buildings, cars and furniture,” McKeon says.

“Thirdhand smoke is a newer concept, but ongoing research points to it posing a highly toxic silent threat to children, particularly to children with asthma.”

While exposure to smoking poses a variety of health consequences for all, children with asthma are particularly susceptible, and environmental tobacco smoke can trigger asthma attacks.

The findings also highlight the potential for information bias if researchers rely on caregiver surveys for ETS assessments. While the study found a correlation between high levels of cotinine in asthmatic children and prevalence of asthma attacks, there was no association between caregivers who reported ETS exposure for their children and asthma attacks.

All children in the study were between the ages of 7-12 and lived in federally subsidized public housing in New Orleans, Cincinnati and Boston at the time of the study. Data was collected three times over the course of a year. Caregivers were asked two questions: “Do you or any visitor smoke in your home?” and “Do any household members use tobacco products?”

In recent years, other studies have found evidence that the tobacco smoke residue responsible for thirdhand smoke may become more toxic over time and can be resistant to conventional cleaning methods.

The findings point to a need for more research around thirdhand smoke prevalence and health risks. Additionally, the study underscores a need for alternate methods of assessing children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, such as screening for biomarkers like cotinine.

“Our research confirms that relying on caregiver surveys to assess children’s tobacco smoke exposure is inadequate and leads to significant underreporting due to an underestimated prevalence of ETS,” McKeon says.

“This misclassification may hinder proper asthma management and delay critical interventions.”

Source: Tulane University

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Q. What is thirdhand smoke?

A. Thirdhand smoke is chemical residue from smoking that lingers in carpets, furniture, and walls long after a cigarette was lit.

Q. How do children inhale thirdhand smoke particles?

A. Children can inhale these particles by disturbing fabric fibers while playing or ingest them by touching contaminated surfaces and then putting their hands in their mouths.

Q. What is cotinine, and how does it relate to tobacco exposure?

A. Cotinine is a biomarker of tobacco exposure that forms when nicotine is broken down in the body. The study found that all children tested positive for low levels of cotinine, indicating they had some level of tobacco smoke exposure.

Q. Can thirdhand smoke be distinguished from secondhand smoke?

A. The study couldn’t conclusively distinguish between secondhand and thirdhand smoke, but caregiver surveys suggested a less obvious source of tobacco smoke exposure.

Q. What are the health risks associated with thirdhand smoke for children?

A. Thirdhand smoke poses a highly toxic silent threat to children, particularly those with asthma, which can trigger asthma attacks.

Q. Why is it difficult to remove thirdhand smoke from buildings and furniture?

A. Ongoing research suggests that tobacco smoke residue responsible for thirdhand smoke may become more toxic over time and be resistant to conventional cleaning methods.

Q. What are the limitations of relying on caregiver surveys to assess children’s tobacco smoke exposure?

A. The study found that relying on caregiver surveys leads to significant underreporting due to an underestimated prevalence of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

Q. How can thirdhand smoke affect asthma management in children?

A. Misclassification of children’s tobacco smoke exposure through caregiver surveys may hinder proper asthma management and delay critical interventions.

Q. What is the need for more research on thirdhand smoke prevalence and health risks?

A. The study highlights a need for more research around thirdhand smoke prevalence and health risks, as well as alternative methods of assessing children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, such as screening for biomarkers like cotinine.