When smokers move out and non-smokers move in: residential thirdhand smoke pollution and exposure.

Background: This study examined whether thirdhand smoke (THS) persists in smokers' homes after they move out and non-smokers move in, and whether new non-smoking residents are exposed to THS in these homes.

Methods: The homes of 100 smokers and 50 non-smokers were visited before the residents moved out. Dust, surfaces, air and participants' fingers were measured for nicotine and children's urine samples were analysed for cotinine.

Residual tobacco smoke pollution in used cars for sale: air, dust, and surfaces.

Regular tobacco use in the enclosed environment of a car raises concerns about longer-term contamination of a car's microenvironment with residual secondhand smoke pollutants. This study (a) developed and compared methods to measure residual contamination of cars with secondhand smoke, (b) examined whether cars of smokers and nonsmokers were contaminated by secondhand smoke, and (c) how smoking behavior and restrictions affected contamination levels. Surface wipe, dust, and air samples were collected in used cars sold by nonsmokers (n = 20) and smokers (n = 87) and analyzed for nicotine.