Ever since I was younger I have always pondered on the question of whether cigarettes could pollute the air similar to the great polluted effects cars have on the environment. Recently, my thoughts on cigarette pollution were reborn when I noticed the large amount of e-cigarette smoke being released into the air. This brought back many of the questions I’ve had before which leaves me wondering whether either types of smoke, cigarette or electronic cigarette, pollute our atmosphere just as they can pollute our lungs…

A study done at the Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut in Germany tested the smoke emissions from both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes at 6 puffs each and discovered that the e cigarette produced increased levels of acedic acid, acetone, isoprene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde into the atmosphere. This study also found that the amount of toxins released by an e-cigarette was that of ¼ of the toxins released by a regular cigarette.

The toxins produced from cigarettes and e-cigarettes are too minuscule to pollute the air but they do greatly impact the human body. As we discussed in class, it was discovered that there was a clear correlation between heavy smoking and lung cancer and “lung cancer increased when smoking rates did.”

A study examining the effects of e-cigarettes found that “E-cigarette vapor alone produced mild effects on the lungs, including inflammation and protein damage However, when this exposure was followed by a bacterial or viral infection, the harmful effects of e-cigarette exposure became even more pronounced. The e-cigarette exposure inhibited the ability of mice to clear the bacteria from their lungs, and the viral infection led to increased weight loss and death indicative of an impaired immune response.” E-cigarettes remove the burning of carcinogens that regular cigarettes have but they do have “free radicals introduced into the body that can alter the DNA and have cancer-causing effects.”

It is clear that decent amounts of cigarette and e-cigarette use leads to various negative health effects on the body. So, if the body receives negative effects, is the environment effected similarly?

The physical smoke being released from a cigarette was not found to have a great impact on the air. But, it is said “up to 16 applications of pesticide are recommended during one three-month growing period” and “contributes to ozone depletion.” One tobacco farmer discussed his experience with the chemicals involved saying, “I used to get sicker than a dog, with fever, burning skin, and nausea, if I wasn’t real careful with the chemicals I sprayed on tobacco.” He also discussed it’s effects on the environment saying “You don’t hear bullfrogs or toads anymore, because we’ve poisoned the streams and creeks with our chemicals.”

There is clear evidence of the negative effects of various cigarettes on the environment and human health. The production of cigarettes, use, and disposal all carry minimal positive factors. The research I found did not provide evidence to the question I orginially asked which was whether cigarette smoke polluted the air. The production of cigarettes deplete the oxone layer and the only other air pollution I can think of is second-hand smoke people would inhale. Further research on this topic could focus on the effects of cigarette smoke and e-cigarrette smoke on the atmosphere. From this research, cigarettes and electronic cigarettes have a negative affect on human health alike and they greatly hurt the environment as well in more ways than one

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http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/20/Suppl_1/i1.full

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/smoking-environmental-and-social-impacts.html

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/6953/20140508/cigarettes-harmful-to-the-environment-not-just-to-your-health.htm

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/e-cigarette-vapor-shown-repress-immune-system

http://www.tobaccofreeca.com/smoking-problem/impact/environment/