Emerging investigator series: deposited particles and human lung lining fluid are dynamic, chemically-complex reservoirs leading to thirdhand smoke emissions and exposure. Issue 5 (1st July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheu, Roger; Hass-Mitchell, Tori; Ringsdorf, Akima; Berkemeier, Thomas; Machesky, Jo; Edtbauer, Achim; Klüpfel, Thomas; Filippi, Alexander; Musa Bandowe, Benjamin A.; Wietzoreck, Marco; Kukučka, Petr; Tong, Haijie; Lammel, Gerhard; Pöschl, Ulrich; Williams, Jonathan; Gentner, Drew R.
• Is Part Of: Environmental science. Volume 2:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 943
• Page End: 963
• Publication Date: 2022-07-01
• Subjects: 551.5
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ea00107h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2634-3606

Abstract

Abstract : Tobacco combustion products in deposited particles and bodily reservoirs enable persistent thirdhand smoke contamination and transport. Abstract : Thirdhand smoke (THS) persists in locations where smoking previously occurred and can be transported into non-smoking environments, leading to non-smoker exposure. Laboratory experiments using high-resolution mass spectrometry demonstrate that deposited particulate matter (PM) and smoke-exposed surrogate lung lining fluid (LLF) are substantial, chemically-complex reservoirs of gas-phase THS emissions, including hazardous air pollutants, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and nitrogen/oxygen-containing species. Both PM and LLF are persistent real-world THS reservoirs that chemically evolve over time, and can act as vehicles for the transport and emission of reactive pollutants and their reaction byproducts ( e.g., acrolein). Deposited PM on clothes, furnishings, bodies, and/or airways will emit volatile to semi-volatile gases over long lifetimes, which can re-partition to other indoor materials and increase their overall persistence. On the other hand, LLF off-gassing consists predominantly of volatile organic compounds in amounts influenced by their aqueous solubilities, and their persistence in breath will be prolonged by re-distribution across internal aqueous reservoirs, as corroborated by multicompartment modeling in this study.