16.10.12
Car smokers produce dangerous levels of pollutants, researchers warn
Smoking in cars produces pollutants at an average of above three times the recommended WHO (World Health Organisation) indoor air quality standards, new research shows.
The study states that whether smokers have a window open or not, levels of pollutants reach dangerous levels. The authors warn that children are particularly susceptible to such high levels of pollutants.
They said: “Children are likely to be at greater risk from [second hand smoke] exposure due to their faster breathing rates, less developed immune system and their inability to move away from the source in many home and car settings.”
Previous studies have linked second hand smoke to several children’s health factors, including sudden infant death, middle ear disease, and asthma.
The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, monitored the levels of fine particulate matter in the passenger areas of 17 drivers’ cars (14 of which were smokers) over the course of a total of 83 journeys. Of these journeys, 49 were driven by smokers, and produced an average of 85 µg/m3 of particulate matter, in comparison with an average of 7.4 µg/m3 in a smoke-free journey; in a linked study, levels were recorded at a peak of 880 µg/m3 in a smoker’s car.
These values produced in the smoking environments far exceed the 25 µg/m3 indoor air limit recommended by the World Health Organisation.
The authors of the study back the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group’s campaign to ban smoking in cars, in a further bid to reduce the risks of second hand smoke to children and adults alike.
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