"Third-hand" smoke may harm infants, scientists sayFebruary 3, 2017 - 17:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The first solid evidence that smoking causes cancer came in the 1950s, followed decades later by revelations that "second-hand" smoke also harms health. On Friday, February 3, scientists issued a warning about what they call "third-hand" smoke (THS) -- the sticky residue from tobacco puffing that clings to walls and furniture, AFP reports. In mice, at least, exposure to these toxic leftovers causes lower infant weight and alters counts of blood cells associated with the body's immune system, they reported in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. "Evidence is mounting that the residue lingering on indoor surfaces could be just as harmful -- if not more -- than second-hand smoke," said the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which took part in the study. Researchers from the United States and China tested the biological response of mice to THS in lab conditions designed to mimic exposure in a smokers' home. Based on what they found, there could be reason to fear for the safety of infants who can pick up toxins from floors and carpets they lie or crawl on, and walls, curtains and furniture they touch, the team said. "Small children are a particularly vulnerable population who are exposed to THS toxicants through inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact," they wrote. Previous research had shown that THS toxins caused DNA damage to human cells in petri dishes, and harmed sperm and the organs of lab mice. An earlier study of THS toxins in house samples warned of a potential cancer risk to children. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert. On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. Partner news | Viva sees growing demand for cloud services In recent years, medical institutions are starting to make use of Viva’s cloud services Armenian, German presidents meet in Berlin Armenian and German Presidents Vahagn Khachaturyan and Frank-Walter Steinmeier met in Berlin. Armenia assumes presidency of Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities The Commission on Television and Radio of Armenia said it expects productive cooperation in various formats. Balance of attached cards in the Idram&IDBank app From now on, users will be able to view the online balances of cards issued by ArCa system banks and attached to the app. |