Smoking represents, by far, the main threat of indoor pollution in the very long term, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal PlosOne. A habitat formerly occupied by smokers would contain toxic residues for 20 years. An additional argument which confirms the risks of passive smoking.
Researchers at the University of California (USA) have exposed mice to chemical residues from cigarette smoke. They found that these components caused guinea pigs to Type 2 diabetes.
In apartments, smoke components permeate fabrics and continue to emit highly toxic compounds, some of which have been shown to be carcinogenic.
“Toddlers and the elderly are more sensitive to these chemical residues. Firstly because children, being often on the ground, tend to be in contact with these particles more often, then because the elderly have organs weakened by time ”, explains Neema Adhami, of the cell and neuroscience department of the University of California.
Passive smoking: a deadly enemy of our health
The conclusions of this study emphasize the dangers of passive smoking, which has become a real public health issue.
Globally, it is responsible for one in 100 deaths and causes 600,000 deaths per year according to figures from the World Health Organization. Exposure to second-hand smoke is responsible each year for 379,000 deaths from ischemic heart disease, 165,000 deaths from respiratory infections, 36,900 deaths fromasthma of and 21,400 deaths by lung cancer. Not to mention that smoking by proxy would also increase the risk of developing a disease by 10%. breast cancer, according to the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm).
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