Photo via Flickr User DCistUniversity of California, Riverside published the results of an experiment last week, concluding that "third-hand smoke," i.e. that rich, burnt oatmeal smell emanating from grandpa's sweater, is a credible health threat. The takeaway: Don't smoke. Don't hang around smokers. And don't hang around people who hang around smokers, which, outside of Utah, pretty much eliminates everyone.The experiment itself was conducted by Manuela Martins-Green, Professor of Cell Biology at UCR. She exposed lab mice to a simulation of the conditions under which humans take in third-hand smoke. Burnt tobacco residue was added to surfaces and dust within the mouse enclosures, but the mice weren't added until later, meaning they were exposed to no actual smoke. In the end, Martins-Green said in a UCR news release, “We found significant damage occurs in the liver and lung. Wounds in these mice took longer to heal. Further, these mice displayed hyperactivity.” The details of the experiment are all online. The damning conclusions written up in UCR's release are as follows:
Annons
- There was an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- The lungs became inflamed, and showed risks for fibrosis (a kind of abnormal cell growth).
- Risk for obstructive pulmonary disease increased.
- Slower wound healing, comparable to that of smokers after surgery, was observed.
- The mice became hyperactive, because they had cute little nicotine buzzes.