Today Muscovites began to fall into real panic. And no wonder! We read the press release of Rospotrebnadzor on August 4:
On the territory of Moscow, at 8-00 and 13-00, the maximum permissible concentration for carbon monoxide was exceeded in the South-Eastern Administrative District, the Eastern Administrative District - by 1.2-2.6 times; for suspended substances in the South-Eastern Administrative District - 3.2 times, in the Eastern Administrative District up to 2 times, in the North-Eastern Administrative District - 1.3 times. In addition, in the Kozhukhovo area and the city of Zelenograd at 7:00, the maximum permissible concentration for fine suspended particles PM10 was exceeded by 2.1-2.8 times.
In the Moscow region, the maximum concentrations of harmful substances in the air, as in previous days, are recorded in the cities of Kolomna and Lukhovitsy: at 7:00 - exceeding up to 11.0 MPC for carbon monoxide, up to 14.0 MPC for nitrogen dioxide, up to 10 MPC for suspended substances substances up to 3 MAC for sulfur dioxide; at 13:00 concentrations decreased to 6.9 for carbon monoxide, 3.2 MAC for nitrogen dioxide, 3.7 MAC for suspended solids.

It’s simply amazing how dense our country is and how slow our officials are! This is not the first time we have enjoyed the smoke of our fatherland, but we can’t find simple, sensible recommendations for the people. As before, the Internet is flooded with idiotic advice such as calls for everyone to wear masks (the sellers of masks in Russia are probably already getting rich!).
Before I talk about why smoke is harmful, I will list generally accepted recommendations (otherwise not everyone will make it to the end of the post):
BASIC MEASURES:
It is important to understand here that the damage from most toxic gases and heat is reversible (headache, malaise and lethargy will pass). But finely dispersed carcinogenic and obstructive soot will settle in the lungs forever. Therefore, the main thing is to breathe less soot!
* Do not go outside during periods of peak smoke.
Keeping your home well sealed can help prevent you from inhaling particulate matter. The smoke concentration indoors can be one third less than outdoors. However, the most harmful fine particles (PM 10) penetrate into any room.
* Keep windows tightly closed at least at night and early in the morning when smoke is at its peak.
* Do not create additional dust or smoke at home:
o do not burn candles or incense
o do not vacuum
o do not use gas stoves
o during cooking, turn on forced hood
o Do not smoke at home under any circumstances!
* During periods of maximum smoke, be careful with air conditioners.
Air conditioners that draw air from outside can only be used if they are equipped with special filters (such as HEPA). It is also better to turn off split air conditioners during peak pollution, since a decrease in the temperature in the room will cause additional suction of smog from the street so that there will be more suspended matter inside than outside. If the heat is unbearable, reduce the temperature moderately (by no more than 5C).

* If possible, get out of Moscow and the region to smoke-free places. Take a vacation!
* Do not overexert yourself physically.
Physical activity causes you to breathe more quickly and deeply, which can cause long-lasting harm to your health in smoky conditions. No morning jogging or cycling! If your work involves physical activity, in such smoke conditions, ask your employer to shorten your working hours.
* Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke to a minimum. Although only complete smoking cessation will truly help. Passive smokers, run away from smoky rooms!
* Persons with existing diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems must strictly follow the recommendations of doctors (regularly measure blood pressure and, if necessary, revise the dosage of medications). It is especially difficult for asthmatics, for whom I recommend using all possible means to travel outside the smoke. If there is a risk of blood clots, your doctor may recommend taking 1/4 tablet of aspirin daily.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES:
* Do masks help? I'll tell you straight - not really.
Conventional medical masks not only do not help, but also harm. They have sufficient clearances to allow smoke to pass through and pores to keep out the most harmful PM10 particles. But masks create an additional respiratory barrier, forcing you to breathe more often and deeper. Only special respirators that filter fine particles (type R-2, R-3) can really help, but they should only be worn during hours of maximum smoke. If you decide to wear an 8-layer cotton-gauze bandage according to the recommendations of domestic luminaries, be sure to moisten it with water. And remember: no masks will separate harmful gases (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) from normal air gases. The way you breathed them is the way you will breathe.
* Oxygen cocktails and cans are an unscrupulous taking of money from the population.
* If possible, avoid ground transportation and take the metro. The busy highways are already smoking, but now it’s just hell!
* Humidify the air in your home in every possible way. If there are no special humidifiers, spray water from a spray bottle. In the heat, do not allow the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to dry out!
* Drink enough fluids!
Together with humidifying the air in the room, this will help avoid drying out of the mucous membranes and effectively remove suspended particles with sputum.
* Remove soot that settles on the floor and furniture as often as possible with damp cloths.
* If it is not possible to keep the windows closed due to the heat, cover them with nets or gauze, which must be constantly moistened.
* For eye irritation, use products such as natural tears. It is recommended not to wear contact lenses (switch to glasses).
* Eat more plant-based foods, drink green tea and fresh juices instead of coffee and fizzy drinks. The antioxidants they contain are said to somehow help inactivate harmful peroxide substances in the body. Well, maybe you’ll lose weight at the same time :).
A LITTLE THEORY for those who have lived to see these lines :)
So, you need to understand that peat smoke is much more dangerous to health than ordinary wood smoke, since peat consists of partially decomposed organic matter, which, when burned, releases many compounds of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen. Peat smoke contains more irritating and smelly substances. It is also much thicker than “ordinary” smoke, since peat does not just burn, but smolders: lower combustion temperatures lead to greater smoke production with the release of larger volumes of suspended particles into the atmosphere.

Liquid smoke is a flavoring agent sold in the form of a concentrated mixture that allows you to imitate the natural smoking of fish, meat, sausages, cheeses, and also add a specific taste to soups, roasts and other dishes. It comes in synthetic and natural origin.

Methods of preparation, composition

Before we talk about whether liquid smoke is harmful or not, it is worth mentioning how to obtain this substance.

The smoky liquid of natural origin was known to people back in the 19th century, when the Russian chemist V.N. Karazin first tested the method when preparing foods to preserve their freshness. The technology for producing liquid smoke in a natural way is based on dissolving in water the elements released during the smoldering of wood. Sawdust from deciduous trees (cherry, beech, apple, alder) is burned at a certain temperature, while the smoke is passed through a container filled with water. The resulting condensate goes through several stages of purification: first, insoluble particles - ash, tar - are removed, then harmful chemical compounds - carcinogens are removed. As a result, only two components of the future liquid remain - smoke condensate and tar. They are extracted using technologies such as distillation, concentration, absorption at the membrane level, and then the resulting mixture is stored in containers until “aging”, filtered and packaged in containers.

Thus, given the composition of natural liquid smoke, we can say that the product is not as harmful as its counterpart made from chemicals.

Composition of liquid smoke of synthetic origin

Doctors often warn the population that the benefits of smoked meats are minimal, and a product prepared using chemical additives is harmful and even dangerous to the body. Thus, liquid smoke of artificial origin is nothing more than a mixture of water and chemical compounds contained in different proportions. It can be:

• acids (from 3 to 10%);
• carbonyl compounds - aldehydes, ketones (from 2.5 to 4.6%);
• phenols (up to 2.9%).

Water in such liquids ranges from 11 to 92%. Some manufacturers also add spices to the composition.

Doctors cannot say for sure whether liquid smoke of synthetic origin harms the body. Laboratory studies of smoking mixtures are still ongoing.

The benefits of using liquid smoke

The main criterion that housewives follow when purchasing mixtures for smoking is saving time, since there is no need to soak meat or fish in the marinade for several hours, burn sawdust, or wait for the dish to be ready.

Another reason to replace natural smoking with liquid smoke is the desire not to cause harm to health, since by consuming a product prepared on smoldering wood chips, dangerous carcinogens and tar do not enter the body (according to the manufacturers of the substance).

The use of smoky liquid has a positive effect on the taste and aromatic properties of the dish. Meat and fish soaked in the “liquid smoke” mixture taste practically no different from products processed by natural smoking. They also acquire a specific smoky aroma and an appetizing golden or brownish hue.

Possible and actual harm

Nutritionists and nutrition experts are confident that the benefits of smoking liquids are exaggerated, and in most cases not without the participation of manufacturers who need to sell their product, misleading the buyer. The harm in all this turns out to be much more noticeable.

The first thing doctors pay attention to when warning consumers of liquid smoke is the occurrence of allergic reactions of varying severity. Some people experience an allergy immediately after a single consumption of dishes prepared with chemical additives, while others complain of symptoms after regularly eating smoked meats. Therefore, many doctors urge you to stop buying liquid smoke, and also to be selective in the choice of smoked products presented on store shelves. It would be a good idea to study the composition of both the “liquid smoke” additive itself and the smoked product.

Also, meat and fish treated with smoky liquid harm the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, which inevitably leads to peptic ulcers, gastritis, and other pathologies. There is no need to say whether or not such products should be consumed by people already suffering from the listed diseases, because the answer is obvious.

We must not forget about smoked meats sold in finished form. No one excludes that the buyer will come across spoiled fish or meat, the musty smell of which was simply “overpowered” by liquid smoke.

In some countries, authorities took emergency measures by banning the sale of liquid smoke itself, recognizing it as a strong carcinogen and products smoked with its help. The ban affected liquids produced naturally and synthetically (chemically). In a number of other states, there are regulations that strictly regulate the content of chemical compounds and the concentration of smoking liquid. That is, the government itself, relying on medical tests, recognizes the harm of the substance to health.

The European Food Safety Authority is wary of liquid smoke and annually monitors commercially available samples. However, there is no exact data on how the smoking mixture affects the state of the body; doctors cannot tell about all the consequences of consuming products in the preparation of which liquid smoke was used.

And some researchers claim that the substance leads to the formation of cancerous tumors. Thus, Scott Kern from Johns Hopkins University found that pyrogallol contained in liquid smoke causes damage to cell DNA.

Substitute products for smoking liquids

To give a golden hue, you can replace harmful liquid smoke with onion peels or tea leaves. The smoky flavor is obtained using some types of whiskey or soy sauce. They also use a mixture of mayonnaise, curry spices, grated garlic and soy sauce. Instead of smoky liquid, it is better to add smoked ribs or meat to soups; the concentration of the substance in them is much lower, and the aroma of the finished dish will be no worse.

Since the debate about whether liquid smoke is harmful does not subside, it is better not to eat dishes prepared with its addition, but to prefer products made in the traditional way - by smoking on wood chips or sawdust.

“The smoke of a fire creates comfort, the sparks go out on their own…etc.” And also: “Soar the blue nights with bonfires..” What is summer without bonfires? A fire warms and unites people; you can cook a delicious soup on the fire, and then grill kebabs over the coals. But it cannot be said that fires are only beneficial. There is also harm, and very significant. We are not talking about forest fires, believing that people reading this article are careful enough and make fires in accordance with all fire safety rules. We will talk about the dangers of smoke from a regular fire. People often think that harmful smoke is produced only by burning rubber, plastic, PVC, cardboard, and painted boards. This is wrong. Please note that in this article we are writing about the dangers of smoke from burning ordinary firewood from birch, pine, aspen and other dry trees.

So what happens to wood when burned? One of the most detailed descriptions of the process can be found in the book by Dr. Phys. n. Khosheva Yu.M. “Wood burning stoves. Processes and phenomena". The elemental mass composition of absolutely dry wood of all wood species is approximately the same: carbon 49-50%, oxygen 42-44%, hydrogen 6-7%, inorganic part 0.1-2% (oxides of potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, silicon and etc.). Wood also contains 0.1-1% bound nitrogen - it is this “wood” nitrogen that can form harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides when wood burns (atmospheric nitrogen does not interact with oxygen when wood burns). The listed chemical elements create in wood three main groups of chemical compounds such as natural polymers: cellulose 39-58%, hemicellulose 15-38% and lignin 17-34% and up to several percent of waxes, resins, tannins, fats, essential oils.

Main feature flaming wood burning is the staged nature of log burnout with a change in the composition of combustible gases of wood pyrolysis (the so-called “volatile”) and with a change in the rate of release of volatiles. Essentially, the logs burn in the gaps between the logs, as in micro-fireboxes with hot, charred wood walls. There may not be enough oxygen inside the fire to completely burn the volatiles, and the fire turns into a “gas generator”, supplying flammable gases to the flames above the wood. Flameless form of combustion solid fuels is called smoldering. Smoldering is characterized by the fact that it can occur more slowly than flaming combustion and can occur at a relatively low combustion temperature.

Scheme of a smoldering spot on the surface of wood. 1 - wood, 2 - heat flow deep into the wood, 3 - air intake, 4 - release of volatiles from the thermolysis zone through the carbon layer / with ignition-flame or in the form of bluish smoke /, 5 - “cap” of waste smoldering products CO2 and CO, 6 - radiant heat flow, 7 - coal zone, 8 - wood thermolysis zone, 9 - release of volatiles from the pores of wood with condensation in the form of white smoke.

One of the most harmful products of combustion and smoldering of wood is visually visible smoke - a gas suspension of small solid and liquid particles. The process of smoke emission is called in foreign literature the emission of particles of substances - “emission of particles of matters” /PM/. Typically, “heavy” white smokes have a particle size of 1-10 microns, black smokes 0.1-1 microns, and “light” bluish smokes - less than 0.1 microns. The US Environmental Services considers emissions of particles smaller than 10 microns, and especially those smaller than 2.5 microns, to be the most harmful component of smoke gases, since these particles can easily pass through the protective system of the lungs into the alveoli (http://www.epa.gov/pm /).

The main bursts of smoke and carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) emissions occur when adding fresh wood to the fire; it is at these moments that an increased output of white, gray and black smoke is observed due to the appearance of uncharred wood surfaces in the fire and due to the increased release of volatile products thermolysis. Flue gases contain a large amount of water vapor, which is formed mainly during the combustion of wood chemicals, and not during the physical drying of the original wood. Let us note in passing that gases have the ability to dissolve in water, including drops of condensate. If the solubilities of nitrogen 0.015 m3/m3 and oxygen 0.031 m3/m3 are not large, then the solubilities of carbon dioxide 0.88 m3/m3, sulfur dioxide 39 m3/m3 and hydrogen chloride 440 m3/m3 are significant. Therefore, for example, the presence of sulfur in fuel leads to the conversion of droplets of water mist into droplets of sulfuric acid.

Let's look at the composition of white, gray and black fire smoke. White smoke is an aerosol of small droplets of liquid products of wood pyrolysis. When wood is heated, evaporating water carries along with it vapors of oils (“tar”). Boiling water, as is known, “distills” many hydrocarbons well, especially aromatic ones, which actually gives white smoke the specific “smoky” smell of smoldering wood. These water vapors with “tars”, formed inside the log near the hot zone of combustion or smoldering, ooze through the tracheids of cold wood, cool, and in the form of white smoke come out of the wood (mainly through the ends of the logs). As the log burns, the white smoke begins to evaporate and finally bursts into flames. In this case, the white smoke may disappear completely.

Blue smoke can come from hot, charred, but not flaming, surfaces of logs, including smoldering firebrands. This bluish smoke is formed as a result of evaporation and subsequent high-temperature condensation into a mist of the most difficult-to-boil oils and resins. Moreover, the higher the boiling point of the condensing resin, the “drier and lighter” the blue smoke looks. Blue smoke differs from white smoke by having significantly smaller particle sizes. And particles smaller than 400 nm preferentially scatter visible light in the violet region of the spectrum, rather than absorbing it like large particles of white smoke. Therefore, the transition from “heavy wet” white smoke to dry bluish smoke occurs gradually through grayish-bluish haze, familiar as the smoke of a cigarette.

Black smoke is essentially already burnt tar (“elemental carbon”, soot). Black smoke occurs during the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons, mainly in a flame, with insufficient oxidation. Black smoke is very typical for the combustion of materials rich in carbon and, especially, containing benzene rings (benzene, fuel oil, polystyrene).

Black smoke formation diagram

When 1 kg of wood is burned, 7.5–8.0 m 3 of gaseous combustion products are released. Their composition, in addition to the products of complete combustion, includes: carbon monoxide, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, acids and other complex organic compounds.

Of course, one or two evenings by the fire will not cause any serious harm to your health. But we must try to avoid inhaling smoke and keep in mind that smoke from a fire lingers in the body much longer than tobacco smoke, and it contains a greater amount of carcinogenic substances.

Sources

Khoshev Yu.M. “Wood burning stoves. Processes and phenomena" 2014

An electronic cigarette is a portable device that looks like a regular cigarette and allows you to simulate the process of smoking and cigarette smoke. If the shape of the gadget does not resemble a cigarette, it is called a vape. Let's consider the question of whether e-cigarette vapor is dangerous.

The operating principle of such gadgets is to heat a liquid, which, when the temperature rises, turns into an aerosol. It's called steam. And the inhalation process itself is called vaping, or vaping.

Vape liquid typically contains propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings and nicotine. There are varieties without nicotine, but they are in little demand. We'll tell you why later.

Is smoke from an electronic cigarette dangerous: the history of the creation of the gadget

Such devices are officially called electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). It is under this name that they can be found in official documents from manufacturers, as well as in studies conducted by medical and scientific institutions on whether smoke from an electronic cigarette is harmful.

ENDS was invented in 2003 by pharmacist Hong Lik from China. In 2018, most gadgets are imported from the Middle Kingdom. There are more than 500 brands of such devices, and their sales exceed $7 billion.

The design of the vape includes a battery and a reservoir for liquid. In terms of safety for others, it should be noted that batteries can ignite and explode. Hundreds of similar videos can be found on YouTube. For this reason, these devices are prohibited not only from being used, but also from being transported on an airplane.

There is little clarity regarding ENDS quality control. Such gadgets have appeared recently, so it is difficult to certify them according to standard standards. However, whether steam is dangerous for smokers themselves and others is beyond doubt.

The only thing that can be assessed in terms of safety standards is the composition of the liquid and the safety of the inhaler itself. But since the electronic nicotine delivery system is not included in the list of goods subject to mandatory certification, manufacturers undergo certification on a voluntary basis.

Before answering the question of whether an aerosol is dangerous, it is worth considering what the liquid for refilling gadgets contains.

What does vaping liquid consist of?

When people talk about ENDS, people use the word “vapor,” but that’s not exactly what comes to mind first. This is not the vaporous state of water that we see when boiling a kettle or using an iron, which is absolutely harmless. Electronic cigarettes do not contain water because its boiling point is too high and the battery power is not enough for it.

The main component of the liquid is propylene glycol. This substance is widely used in dry cleaning and is used in small quantities in the food industry. The doses that a person inhales while vaping exceed permissible standards by hundreds and thousands of times!

The liquid contains flavorings. Naturally, no one uses natural ones, since they are more expensive. It is much more profitable to use artificial flavors: they cost a penny, dissolve well in the mixture and do not burn.

Are e-cigarette vapors harmful to others if they contain such substances? Most artificial flavors are made using diacetyl. It is used in cooking to create a creamy, chocolate and vanilla flavor in sweets. By itself, diacetyl is safe, but when heated and turned into steam it is deadly.

Manufacturers of electronic nicotine delivery systems claim that their products are not harmful because they do not contain carcinogens or toxic substances. Indeed, electronic cigarettes do not contain sulfur, nitrate, or carbon monoxide, but is the smoke from them really harmless? Combustion products from vaping are still released.

In addition to propylene glycol and flavorings, the aerosol contains huge concentrations of formaldehyde, which is formed when the wire of the gadget's heating element glows. It is a toxic substance that negatively affects the respiratory tract, central nervous system, skin, reproductive system and genes.

When talking about whether the smoke from an electronic cigarette is harmful, we cannot fail to mention the main component - nicotine. It is the main one, because without it the very meaning of vaping is lost.

Nicotine is an alkaloid, neurotoxin, classified as a moderate stimulant. It promotes the formation of rapid and sustainable addiction. In other words, it is a poisonous drug (the same one that is present in regular cigarettes and keeps millions of people on a short leash).

Is vapor containing nicotine dangerous for the smoker and for others? Once in the blood, this neurotoxin affects acetylcholine receptors, causing the release of dopamine and adrenaline. This may look encouraging: a surge of strength and good mood. Actually this is not true. As soon as the supply of nicotine stops, the withdrawal phase begins.

Weaning from nicotine, unlike alcohol, is not accompanied by painful sensations. After the concentration of the drug in the body drops, the smoker’s performance decreases, he feels a loss of strength and slight discomfort in the body. People who use nicotine (in any form) feel such alternations of pleasure and depression all the time.

Receiving another dose using an electronic nicotine delivery system, a person again experiences a high, mistaking it for pleasure, which over time is associated with a place, situation, smell, etc. And he no longer cares whether the smoke from an electronic cigarette is harmful to him yourself or those around you.

This is how regular smokers and vapers develop nicotine addiction. This disease has its own code in the international classification - F17. And it makes no difference how exactly nicotine enters the body. This does not reduce its harmful effects.

We hope this information will be enough to understand the harm of actively smoking cigarettes - regular and electronic. Of course, when vaping, the concentration of toxic substances and carcinogens is lower than when smoking. Aerosols contain fewer combustion products, but they are still present, and vapers inhale them.

Are electronic cigarettes harmful to others: doctors' opinion

When smoking regular cigarettes, a person usually smokes a certain amount per day. On average this is 20 pieces. Even an experienced smoker finds it difficult to smoke several cigarettes in a row, since, in addition to nicotine, he inhales about 7,000 more harmful compounds. Tobacco smoke poisoning can be considered a factor limiting the number of cigarettes.

When vaping, this factor disappears. That’s why many vaping enthusiasts simply won’t let the gadget out of their mouths. Based on this, it can be assumed that vapers receive a much higher dose of nicotine than those who smoke regular cigarettes, cigars or hookahs.

Is the smoke from an electronic cigarette harmful? Unfortunately, there is not enough scientific data to answer this question. However, a few studies show that steam degrades indoor air quality and therefore is not harmless to others. This is evidenced by a study by Dr. Wolfgang Huber from Germany, which was published in the scientific journal International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.

The study notes that the vapor emitted during vaping contains harmful substances in the form of particulate matter, carbonyls and metals, volatile organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

During the experiment, 9 volunteers vaped electronic cigarettes, both with and without nicotine, for 6 hours in a well-ventilated area. After this, the researchers analyzed the level of air pollution in the room, and also assessed the content of harmful substances in the urine of voluntary study participants.

This provided preliminary data to understand whether e-cigarette smoke is harmful. And this is what the experiment showed. Significant amounts of nicotine, 1,2-propanediol, glycerol and a high concentration of PM 2.5 (about 197 µg/m3) were detected. In indoor air, the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increased by 20% (up to 147 mg/m3). The aluminum content increased by 2.4 times. Nitric monoxide levels increased in 7 of 9 subjects. The concentration of nicotine in the liquids was different (it turned out to be 1.2 times higher than that declared by the manufacturer).

Such data answer the question of whether smoke from an electronic cigarette is harmful to smokers and others. These gadgets do not eliminate harmful emissions, and the pollutants pose a health hazard to the smoker and the people around him. In particular, ultrafine particles formed from supersaturated vapor of 1,2-propanediol are capable of depositing in the lungs. And aerosolized nicotine appears to increase the release of an inflammatory signaling molecule.

For consumer safety, electronic nicotine delivery systems and e-liquids must be officially regulated. They should also be labeled with a warning about possible health effects (especially in children).

Is vaping vapor dangerous? Harmful chemicals are dangerous in any quantity. The hazardous compounds present in tobacco smoke or ENDS aerosol are so small that they are difficult to see or smell. Toxic substances from regular and electronic cigarettes can be absorbed into wallpaper, furniture surfaces, and car upholstery.

Since the US Association of Surgeons' announcement that nicotine causes fatal diseases in 1964, governments and authoritative international organizations have done a lot to educate people about the dangers of nicotine and limit smoking and the sale of cigarettes.

Today it is not customary to smoke in public places. Attitudes towards smoking change in a negative direction. However, this does not stop the sale of the legal drug - nicotine. But now we see people vaping in shopping centers, cafes and restaurants, and at train stations. And they don't even think about whether e-cigarettes are dangerous. They don’t know that the aerosol contains diacetyl, flavorings and the same nicotine (not to mention other chemicals).

The new ENDS business is not regulated. Who will guarantee that a Chinese electronic cigarette will not explode right in the mouth or that the aromatic liquid for refilling does not contain toxic and carcinogenic substances?

The question of whether e-cigarette vapor is harmful to others has another hidden side. Experts around the world agreed that such gadgets are becoming a kind of “loophole” into the world of nicotine addiction for teenagers and children. Young people are attracted not only by bright packaging and the pleasant smell of refill bottles, but also by the fashionable design of electronic gadgets. Some classify vapers as a separate social group, distinguished by their enthusiastic inhalation and exhalation of puffs of smoke.

While the traditional cigarette and secondhand smoke raise public health concerns, electronic gadgets are marketed as safe and even smoking cessation devices.

Over the years, a cigarette has become something banal and unoriginal for people. Another thing is the newfangled electronic cigarettes. They are gaining popularity at an alarming rate. Are you sure that your child is not taking part in the vaping championship? Have you heard of this sport? And he is!

The danger is that young people do not think about whether the smoke from an electronic cigarette is harmful to them or others. They have the impression that such gadgets and such pastimes are completely safe. Children and teenagers are artificially drawn into this madness!

Recently, the mother of a 12-year-old girl contacted the Allen Carr Center in Moscow with a question about the safety of electronic cigarettes. She was going to buy such a gadget as a gift for her daughter.

The danger of electronic cigarettes is that even educated adults believe in their safety. And this is not surprising. They see many floating around them, which means it is not harmful. And this picture is widespread throughout Russia.

But that's not true! Vaping makes some people frivolous and makes others frivolous. Actually, all this is reminiscent of the situation with smoking regular cigarettes.

Is welding fume harmful to health?

Welding is the process of joining metals by heating and compressing parts under pressure. The welding process produces a combination of gases and fumes called welding fume, which has a toxic effect on the human body. Recently, the US Federal Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) published information indicating a link between inhalation of welding fumes and the development of cancerous tumors.

Welding smoke

Welding fume consists of many chemicals that have harmful effects on biological organisms. According to OSHA, these chemicals include lead, mercury, carbon monoxide, asbestos, phosgene, nitrogen dioxide, silica, cadmium, nickel, chromium, manganese and arsenic. The effects of inhaling welding fumes vary depending on the chemical levels.

Chemicals and their effects on the human body

Due to the fact that welding smoke contains various chemicals, their effect on the human body increases. OSHA has published a document listing the possible consequences of exposure to these chemicals. For example, lead can harm all human organs, causing fatigue, irritability and vomiting. Inhalation of mercury leads to neurological complications leading to loss of coordination and sensory disturbances. Hydrochloric acid, a derivative of phosgene and ultraviolet radiation during welding, can damage lung tissue. Even small amounts of manganese exposure can lead to poor short-term memory and mood changes. Nitrogen dioxide irritates the eyes, nose and throat, and also causes fluid to accumulate in the lungs.

Long-term and short-term effects

If exposure to chemicals lasts less than 12 hours, symptoms of exposure may include fever, shortness of breath, and muscle weakness. 5-6 hours of exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons can cause dizziness, difficulty breathing and eye irritation. Chronic inhalation of welding fumes can result in respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. Long-term effects from exposure to welding fumes include heart, lung and skin diseases. Cadmium, nickel and chromium can accelerate the development of cancerous tumors and put a person at risk of developing lung, larynx and kidney cancer.

Measures to reduce the risk of disease

OSHA has developed standards to protect the safety and health of welders, including training in safe work practices, workplace ventilation, wearing personal protective equipment, fire and electrical safety, welding indoors, and warning signs. OSHA has also established a maximum permissible limit for human exposure to chemicals. Although, despite the established limit, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers be exposed to chemicals as little as possible.

Medical observation

NIOSH recommends that employers submit welders for annual physical examinations. If pneumonia is suspected, an x-ray of the lungs will most likely have to be taken and treatment with antibiotics will be started. If tuberculosis is suspected, doctors will take sputum for analysis and send the employee to a skin test for tuberculosis. Because Welding is a hazardous activity, remember that if any unusual symptoms occur, such as weight loss, persistent cough, vision or hearing problems, skin irritation or loss of coordination, you should immediately notify your management and, if necessary, , seek medical help.