Atmospheric transformations of second hand smoke

The health risks associated with exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) are well established. However, SHS also contains many chemicals that are expected to react in the air or on surfaces to potentially generate reaction products that are more toxic than fresh SHS. Little is currently known about these reactions and their potential health impacts. The goal of this exploratory project is to establish if these chemical processes are likely to increase the health risks associated with exposure to SHS in both outdoor and indoor environments.

SHS samples generated in the laboratory will be exposed to atmospheric reactants under controlled conditions, and changes in chemical composition and biological impacts will be tested using a battery of analytical techniques and in vitro assays. The data will be interpreted using sophisticated data analysis methods to determine the relationship between this chemistry and the biological response.

Outdoor and indoor SHS samples will then be analyzed to provide a preliminary estimate of the potential health impacts of the atmospheric reactions of SHS. Key results from this work will be disseminated to the academic community, policy makers and the general public as appropriate.