Our Science

In collaboration with leading scientists and research partners, we are the first company to develop a rapid, research-backed detection method for surface nicotine, the strongest indicator of other harmful, potentially carcinogenic chemicals found in vape and combustible tobacco smoke residue, also known as thirdhand smoke. Thirdhand smoke is an emerging concept that demands our attention.

What is thirdhand smoke?

After smoking ends, thousands of chemicals, including 70 known carcinogens, descend and settle on nearby surfaces as residue, contaminating our environments and compromising our health. These lingering chemicals can persist on virtually any dry surface for years if not adequately cleaned or removed. As time passes, these compounds may re-enter our living spaces and interact with other substances, forming even more harmful compounds.
Here’s an illustration showing this process:
Remain
Thirdhand smoke consists of residual tobacco smoke particles that settle on nearby surfaces and remain long after smoke has cleared.
Re-emit
Overtime, these particles are re-emitted back into the atmosphere, contaminating our environment and the air we breathe.
React
Thirdhand smoke particles can react with other compounds at any time, forming secondary pollutants that increase overall toxicity.

How do we test for thirdhand smoke?

Nicotine

Nicotine, a naturally occurring alkaloid in the nightshade family, is the highly addictive ingredient in tobacco products and vaping devices, used both recreationally and as a pharmaceutical drug.

In environments contaminated by tobacco or vape products, surface nicotine lingers and remains traceable for weeks, months, or even years. This persistent chemical, along with many others found in thirdhand smoke, can be inhaled, ingested, and absorbed through the skin, posing significant health risks.

Cotinine

Cotinine is a chemical that forms in the body when nicotine is metabolized by the liver through an enzymatic process. The main metabolites of nicotine are cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, and nornicotine; of these, cotinine is the most widely used marker for detecting nicotine exposure. Like nicotine, cotinine can be found on surfaces for extended periods and inhaled, ingested, and absorbed by the skin.

Here is a comprehensive list of chemicals found in thirdhand smoke, identified by California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm, along with their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Name of Chemical Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number Type of Toxicity (Proposition 65)†

Benzene 71-43-2 Cancer, developmental, male reproductive
Benzo(a)pyrene 50-32-8 Cancer
Cadmium 7440-43-9 Cancer, developmental, male reproductive
Formaldehyde 50-00-0 Cancer
NNK, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone 64091-91-4 Cancer
NNN, N-nitrosonornicotine 16543-55-8 Cancer

Dibenz(a,h)anthracene 53-70-3 Cancer
Dichloromethane or methylene chloride 75-09-2 Cancer
Styrene 100-42-5 Cancer

Acetaldehyde 75-07-0 Cancer
Acrylonitrile 107-13-1 Cancer
Benz[a]anthracene 56-55-3 Cancer
Benzo(b)fluoranthene 205-99-2 Cancer
Benzo(k)fluoranthene 207-08-9 Cancer
Chrysene 218-01-9 Cancer
Ethylbenzene 100-41-4 Cancer
Furan 110-00-9 Cancer
Furfuryl alcoho 98-00-0 Cancer
Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene 193-39-5 Cancer
Isoprene 78-79-5 Cancer
Lead 7439-92-1 Cancer, developmental, female and male reproductive
N-nitrosopyrrolidine 930-55-2 Cancer
Naphthalene 91-20-3 Cancer
Pyridine 110-86-1 Cancer

Toluene 108-88-3 Developmental

Nicotine 54-11-5 Developmental

There is no safe level of exposure to thirdhand smoke.

Lungs

Thirdhand smoke irritates our respiratory system, increasing the risk of inflammation-induced diseases such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Emerging research suggests that exposure is genotoxic and carcinogenic at environmentally relevant doses.

In vitro studies using cultured human lung cancer cells show that thirdhand smoke exposure induces DNA damage and increased lung cancer cell proliferation. RNA sequencing also shows endoplasmic reticulum stress and activated p53 signaling, both hallmarks of cancer.

Scientific Research
Brain

Thirdhand smoke is a neurotoxin. Children who are exposed to second and thirdhand smoke at home have a 50% higher risk of neurological disorders.

A recent study found a significant inverse relationship between cotinine blood levels and math, cognitive reasoning, reading, and language development in young children. It is estimated that over 20 million children are at risk for thirdhand smoke related reading deficiencies in the United States.

Scientific Research
Heart

Preliminary coronary research suggests that thirdhand smoke may be associated with heart disease.

Exposure increases lipid levels, inflammatory cytokine production, and collagen stimulation in animals, all of which potentially contribute to cardiovascular disease. Recent human hematology research links thirdhand smoke exposure to elevated levels of triglycerides and coronary thrombosis, which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Scientific Research
Immune System

The immune system protects us from harmful pathogens in our environment.When our immune system is compromised, we are more vulnerable to infection and illness.

Thirdhand smoke exposure reduces our defensive cell count, making us more vulnerable to infection and illness. Research suggests that exposure lowers levels of white blood cells that are associated with inflammation and allergic reactions. “Children living with 1 to 2 adults who smoke in the home, where SHS and its residues (THS) are abundant, were absent 40% more days from school due to illness than children who did not live with smokers.”

Scientific Research

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