Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) - Reference Guide to Major Indoor Air Quality Pollutants in the Home

In this series, we'll detail the sources, health effects, levels in the home, and steps to reduce exposure to the 11 major indoor air quality pollutants in the home.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)

Sources
Cigarette, pipe, and cigar smoking.

Health Effects
Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; lung cancer; may contribute to heart disease. Specifically for children, increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and ear infections; build-up of fluid in the middle ear; increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes; decreased lung function.

Levels in Homes
Particle levels in homes without smokers or other strong particle sources are the same as, or lower than, those outdoors. Homes with one or more smokers may have particle levels several times higher than outdoor levels.

Steps to Reduce Exposure

• Do not smoke in your home or permit others to do so.
• Do not smoke if children are present, particularly infants and toddlers.
• If smoking indoors cannot be avoided, increase ventilation in the area where smoking takes place. Open windows or use exhaust fans. 

 

Next in this series... Biological Contaminants

*Content provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. CPSC Document #450. This document is public domain.*