Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions， new research from Drexel University suggests the toxins we’ve been trying to keep out are still finding their way into the air inside. Findings by a group of environmental engineers show that third-hand smoke， the chemical residue from cigarette smoke that attaches to anything and anyone in the vicinity of a smoke cloud， can make its way into the air and circulate through buildings where no one is smoking.

室内吸烟禁限令已实施数十年。不过，德雷塞尔大学的最新研究表明，虽然我们一直努力将烟草毒素拒之门外，但这些毒素仍然能够进入室内空气。环境工程师们的研究结果显示，三手烟能在无人吸烟的建筑内潜入空气，进行室内循环。三手烟是指附着在烟团附近任何人或物上面的烟草烟雾化学残留物。

The study， which was recently published in the journal Science Advances， further clarifies our understanding of just how pervasive the toxic chemicals of cigarette smoke can be—even in a “smoke-free” indoor environment.

该研究成果不久前发表于《科学进展》杂志，让人们进一步认清了烟草烟雾有毒化学物质的传播范围——即便是“无烟”的室内环境也无法幸免。

“While many public areas have restriction on smoking， including distance from doorways， non-smoking buildings and even full smoking bans on campus for some universities， these smoking limitations often only serve to protect non-smoking populations from exposure to second-hand smoke，” said Michael Waring， PhD， an associate professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering， and a co-author of the research. “This study shows that third-hand smoke， which we are realizing can be harmful to health as with second-hand smoke， is much more difficult to avoid.”

德雷塞尔大学工程学院副教授、该研究成果共同作者之一迈克尔·韦林博士表示：“虽然许多公共区域都有吸烟限制，比如吸烟区要与门口保持距离、楼内禁止吸烟、一些大学实行校园内全面禁烟，但这些限制往往只能保护非吸烟人群免受二手烟的危害。该研究显示，避开三手烟的难度要大得多，而我们逐渐意识到三手烟和二手烟一样对健康有害。”

Peter DeCarlo， PhD， an atmospheric chemist at Drexel， teamed up with Waring， whose research focuses on indoor air quality， on this National Science Foundation-funded work that revealed the new pathway of exposure to third-hand smoke.

德雷塞尔大学大气化学家彼得·德卡洛博士与专事室内空气质量研究的韦林博士携手，完成了这一由美国国家科学基金会资助的项目，揭开了此前未曾发现的三手烟接触途径。

“Aerosol particles are ubiquitous particles suspended in the air—they come from a variety of sources and are known to be detrimental to health，” DeCarlo said. “The fact that third-hand smoke can attach to them， like it would to the clothing or furniture of a smoker， means that the potentially toxic chemicals associated with third hand smoke are found in places we wouldn’t have expected.”

“气溶胶颗粒是悬浮于空气中的微粒，几乎无处不在。这些微粒来源广泛，据知对人体健康有害。”德卡洛博士解释道，“三手烟能附着在气溶胶颗粒上，正如它会吸附在吸烟者的衣物或家具上，这意味着与其相关的潜在有毒化学物质会出现在我们意想不到的任何地方。”

A surprise inside

室内的“意外发现”

Anita Avery， PhD， a doctoral student working with DeCarlo was studying the transport of particles from outdoors to indoors by monitoring these particles inside an unoccupied， non-smoking classroom. The composition of these particles， measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer over the course of several weeks， provided a detailed look at the chemical differences between outdoor and indoor particles in the air.

安妮塔·埃弗里博士在德卡洛指导下攻读博士学位期间，曾通过监测一个闲置的无烟教室内的颗粒物状况，来研究颗粒物从室外到室内的传播。