Carpets, which are difficult to clean, could contain residue from cigarette smoke, potentially harmful indoor pollutants.
- After ozonation, a cleaning method, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, present in tobacco smoke, were partially removed.
- The nicotine, which was deeply embedded in the carpets, was not removed.
- Carpets, due to their chemical composition which serves as a chemical shield, persistently retain these toxic substances, even after numerous cleanings and airings.
When people smoke regularly in the rooms of their home, tobacco imprints tend to persist and stick to interior surfaces, even long after they have stopped smoking. When residues, often invisible to the naked eye, are trapped in textiles or furniture, we speak of thirdhand smoke. These can cause irritation and respiratory problems in non-smokers.
Test the effectiveness of ozonation on carpets contaminated by cigarette smoke
In a new study, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (United States) have highlighted the fact that carpets are particularly powerful reservoirs, and difficult to clean, of toxic substances created by burning cigarettes. To reach this conclusion, they analyzed old carpets collected from homes in the San Diego area that were contaminated with cigarette smoke. They also exposed new carpets to cigarette smoke in the laboratory. Next, they tested the effectiveness of ozonation, a cleaning method that helps eliminate odors, on the carpets.
Thirdhand smoke: deeply embedded nicotine has not been removed
According to the results, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, “Most of the 24 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons detected in both samples were partially removed by ozone.” On the other hand, the nicotine was deeply embedded in the carpet fibers, making its removal extremely difficult. According to the authors, the fibers and other chemical constituents of the carpet serve as a chemical shield, preventing ozone from penetrating and acting on tobacco smoke residue.
“The best solution could be to replace” the contaminated carpet “with a new one”
“Ozone generators are used to repair fire and mold damage, but they have limitations, as we saw in this study,” declared Hugo Destaillats, who participated in the work, in a statement. “Because it does not penetrate deeply into materials, ozone has a limited ability to clean permanently. In the case of carpet, the best solution might be to replace it with a new one,” added Xiaochen Tang, lead author of the research. Next steps in their study will evaluate the role of other interior reservoirs, such as drywall and upholstery.
