Sidestream smoke
Encyclopedia
Sidestream smoke is smoke
which goes into the air directly from a burning cigarette
, cigar
or smoking pipe. Sidestream smoke is the main component of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), also known as passive smoking
The chemical constituents of sidestream smoke are different from those of directly inhaled ("mainstream") smoke. Evidence has shown that sidestream smoke may be more harmful than mainstream smoke. Sidestream smoking has been classified as a Class A carcinogen
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
, tar
, nicotine
, ammonia
, benzene
, cadmium
and 4-aminobiphenyl
. Some of the other compounds found in sidestream smoke are: vinylchloride, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic
, acrolein
, acetaldehyde
, formaldehyde
, catechol, cresol
, hydroquinone
, lead
, methyl ethyl ketone, nitric oxide
, phenol
, styrene, toluene
, and butane
. Exposure to sidestream smoke yields higher concentrations of these compounds as well as increased concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin
, nicotine, and cotinine
in the blood. When comparing sidestream and mainstream condensate, side stream has 2–6 times more condensate per gram than mainstream smoke. Due to the incomplete combustion process responsible for the creation of sidestream smoke, there may be exposure to higher concentrations of carcinogens than are typically inhaled directly.
, brain tumor
s, acute myeloid leukemia
, incidence of heart disease
, and benign
respiratory diseases increase by inhaling the sidestream smoke. The chance of getting breast cancer
and cervical cancer
also increases with inhaling sidestream smoke.
The relative risk of cardiovascular disease
is 1.2–1.3 with exposure to sideastream smoke due the cyanide present in the smoke. There is also evidence that sidestream smoke causes negative effects both behaviorally and cognitively in children. One study on cotinine levels in children found that higher levels of cotinine in children were correlated with a decreased ability to perform in reading and math.
Such factors as age, gender and different occupations put a person at risk for bladder cancer
. Apart from these factors, smoking is the only other known risk cancer for bladder cancer. 4-aminobiphenyl
(4-ABP) is an integral component in tobacco smoke, as well as a risk factor for bladder cancer. Sidestream smoke puts individuals at an increased risk of bladder cancer because the 4-ABP concentrations are over ten times that of mainstream smoke.
reported there was no safe level of smoke exposure at all.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates sidestream smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 62,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers every year in the United States.
, as well as behavioral problems and reduction in neurocognitive
abilities. Exposure to mainstream and sidestream smoke in children poses an increased risk of coughing, wheezing, and mucus
production. Studies on rats have shown that those who were exposed to sidestream smoke while in utero and following the period directly after, had differences in airway sensitivity in comparison to those that had been exposed to sidestream smoke only while in utero or only following the period after. This led experimenters to conclude that early childhood exposure to sidestream smoke.
levels was observed following exposure to sidestream smoke in vitro. Glutathione is an antioxidant
that resides in the lung after development. Following as little as a 20 minute exposure to sidestream smoke can lead to an increase in contaminant particles within human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC). Cells exposed to sidestream smoke experienced oxidative stress
, which further allowed for DNA damage as well as cell transformation and an uncontrolled cell proliferation. Cancer
could be the outcome for DNA mutation
s, while tumor
s could the outcome for the cell transformation and uncontrolled cell division which would be a result of direct exposure to sidestream smoke.
Smoke
Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
which goes into the air directly from a burning cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
, cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
or smoking pipe. Sidestream smoke is the main component of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), also known as passive smoking
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
The chemical constituents of sidestream smoke are different from those of directly inhaled ("mainstream") smoke. Evidence has shown that sidestream smoke may be more harmful than mainstream smoke. Sidestream smoking has been classified as a Class A carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Contents of sidestream smoke
Sidestream smoke is made up of many components. Some of the constituents of which are carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
, nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
, ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
, benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
and 4-aminobiphenyl
4-Aminobiphenyl
4-Aminobiphenyl is an amine derivative of biphenyl. It is used to manufacture azo dyes. It is a known human carcinogen and so it has been largely replaced by less toxic compounds. It is similar to benzidine....
. Some of the other compounds found in sidestream smoke are: vinylchloride, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, acrolein
Acrolein
Acrolein is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde. It is produced widely but is most often immediately reacted with other products due to its instability and toxicity...
, acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH3CHO or MeCHO. It is one of the most important aldehydes, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale industrially. Acetaldehyde occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, and is produced by plants as part...
, formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
, catechol, cresol
Cresol
Cresols are organic compounds which are methylphenols. They are a widely occurring natural and manufactured group of aromatic organic compounds which are categorized as phenols . Depending on the temperature, cresols can be solid or liquid because they have melting points not far from room...
, hydroquinone
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone, also benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, having the chemical formula C6H42. Its chemical structure, shown in the table at right, has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a para position. It is a white granular solid...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, methyl ethyl ketone, nitric oxide
Nitric oxide
Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a diatomic molecule with chemical formula NO. It is a free radical and is an important intermediate in the chemical industry...
, phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
, styrene, toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...
, and butane
Butane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
. Exposure to sidestream smoke yields higher concentrations of these compounds as well as increased concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin
Carboxyhemoglobin
Carboxyhemoglobin is a stable complex of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin that forms in red blood cells when carbon monoxide is inhaled or produced in normal metabolism. Large quantities of it hinder delivery of oxygen to the body...
, nicotine, and cotinine
Cotinine
Cotinine is an alkaloid found in tobacco and is also a metabolite of nicotine. The word "cotinine" is an anagram of "nicotine". Cotinine is used as a biomarker for exposure to tobacco smoke and has also been sold as an antidepressant under the brand name Scotine.Similarly to nicotine, cotinine...
in the blood. When comparing sidestream and mainstream condensate, side stream has 2–6 times more condensate per gram than mainstream smoke. Due to the incomplete combustion process responsible for the creation of sidestream smoke, there may be exposure to higher concentrations of carcinogens than are typically inhaled directly.
Risks
There are over 250 toxins and carcinogens in cigarette smoke. The risks of getting lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
s, acute myeloid leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, incidence of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, and benign
Benign
A benign tumor is a tumor that lacks the ability to metastasize. Common examples of benign tumors include moles and uterine fibroids.The term "benign" implies a mild and nonprogressive disease. Indeed, many kinds of benign tumors are harmless to human health...
respiratory diseases increase by inhaling the sidestream smoke. The chance of getting breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
also increases with inhaling sidestream smoke.
The relative risk of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
is 1.2–1.3 with exposure to sideastream smoke due the cyanide present in the smoke. There is also evidence that sidestream smoke causes negative effects both behaviorally and cognitively in children. One study on cotinine levels in children found that higher levels of cotinine in children were correlated with a decreased ability to perform in reading and math.
Such factors as age, gender and different occupations put a person at risk for bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
. Apart from these factors, smoking is the only other known risk cancer for bladder cancer. 4-aminobiphenyl
4-Aminobiphenyl
4-Aminobiphenyl is an amine derivative of biphenyl. It is used to manufacture azo dyes. It is a known human carcinogen and so it has been largely replaced by less toxic compounds. It is similar to benzidine....
(4-ABP) is an integral component in tobacco smoke, as well as a risk factor for bladder cancer. Sidestream smoke puts individuals at an increased risk of bladder cancer because the 4-ABP concentrations are over ten times that of mainstream smoke.
Social effects
A non-smoker who is inhaling sidestream or secondhand smoke has a 30% greater risk of getting lung cancer at some point in their lives. Exposure to second hand or sidestream smoke has been associated with people who have not smoked before. The Surgeon GeneralSurgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
reported there was no safe level of smoke exposure at all.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates sidestream smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 62,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers every year in the United States.
In Children
Following birth, a child’s exposure to contaminants in the air can have detrimental health effects including a heightened risk for respiratory tract infections, an increase in the likelihood of childhood asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, as well as behavioral problems and reduction in neurocognitive
Neurocognitive
Neurocognitive is a term used to describe cognitive functions closely linked to the function of particular areas, neural pathways, or cortical networks in the brain substrate layers of neurological matrix at the cellular molecular level...
abilities. Exposure to mainstream and sidestream smoke in children poses an increased risk of coughing, wheezing, and mucus
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
production. Studies on rats have shown that those who were exposed to sidestream smoke while in utero and following the period directly after, had differences in airway sensitivity in comparison to those that had been exposed to sidestream smoke only while in utero or only following the period after. This led experimenters to conclude that early childhood exposure to sidestream smoke.
In Vitro
A reduction in glutathioneGlutathione
Glutathione is a tripeptide that contains an unusual peptide linkage between the amine group of cysteine and the carboxyl group of the glutamate side-chain...
levels was observed following exposure to sidestream smoke in vitro. Glutathione is an antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
that resides in the lung after development. Following as little as a 20 minute exposure to sidestream smoke can lead to an increase in contaminant particles within human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC). Cells exposed to sidestream smoke experienced oxidative stress
Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress represents an imbalance between the production and manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage...
, which further allowed for DNA damage as well as cell transformation and an uncontrolled cell proliferation. Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
could be the outcome for DNA mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s, while tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s could the outcome for the cell transformation and uncontrolled cell division which would be a result of direct exposure to sidestream smoke.