The Truth About Cigarette Smoke

Whether at the workplace or a restaurant, public smoking affects the air quality and the health of others. Due to these negative consequences, many establishments and states across the country are banning smoking in public places

Everyone should know by now that cigarette smoke is bad for you, but what many people may not realize is just how many carcinogens are found in cigarette smoke. Some of the more common names of these carcinogens are hydrogen cyanide, which is used to make chemical weapons, arsenic, which is used in pesticides, and carbon monoxide, which is found in car exhaust. All are poisonous and can kill on their own.

Carcinogens Know as Probably Harmful to Humans

Some carcinogen chemicals might lead to cancerous growth in one species during testing but not another or there might not have had enough testing done to lead to conclusive evidence. Since humans are not used for testing of carcinogens, the following chemicals are listed as probable or possible to cause harm to humans: Acrylonitrile, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, 1,3-butadiene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, formaldehyde, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodimethylamine, acetaldehyde, 2-nitropropane, N-nitrosodiethanolamine, N-nitrosomethylethylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N-nitrosopyrrolidine, quinolineiv, ortho-toluidine and urethane (ethyl carbamate).

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke negatively affects the health of infants, children and adults, causing respiratory infections and lung cancer. According to the CDC, the exposure of secondhand smoke can increase the risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent for nonsmokers.

Legislators across the country have been enacting new laws to decrease smoking in public. A major thrust of this movement is a heightened awareness of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes such as acrylonitrile.

The Health Protection Agency says that acrylonitrile is not found in nature. It is made through an industrial process in which propylene is mixed with ammonia and oxygen with the help of a catalyst. Plastics and resins commonly use the chemical as an ingredient in the development process.

According to the World Health Organization, smoking is likely the largest source of nonoccupational contact with the chemical. There are roughly 1 to 2 mg of acrylonitrile in every 100 cigarettes. If only 10 percent is absorbed through smoking, it would still equal 20 to 40 μg or 20/1,000 to 40/1,000 of a mg.

The Environmental Protection Agency has listed acrylonitrile as a group B1 cancer-causing agent. Group B1 means there is sufficient and probable evidence that a material will cause cancer in humans at the amount absorbed.

It is gratifying that a nationwide ban on smoking in public places could result in 18,596 fewer hospital visits due to heart attacks and $92 million in savings for hospital costs, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

Uriah Yang is the freelance writer for e-commerce website in the chemistry. Guidechem.com is just a place for you to look for some chemicals! Our guidechem provide the most convenient conditions for the international buyers and let these leads benefit all the business people.

By: Uriahyang

http://www.guidechem.com/

Related Post