Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42443511›Full record

ReviewJournal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology2026

Quantitative reference levels for thirdhand smoke residue from tobacco products in indoor environments: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Georg E Matt, Nafisa Ferdous, Penelope J E Quintana, Eunha Hoh, Nathan G Dodder, Xiaochen Tang, Wenhao Chen, Ashley L Merianos, E Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Hugo Destaillats

Abstract readReview
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In one paragraph

Review in Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Georg E MattDepartment of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA. gmatt@sdsu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5604-4609
Nafisa FerdousCenter for Tobacco and the Environment, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Penelope J E QuintanaCenter for Tobacco and the Environment, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Eunha HohCenter for Tobacco and the Environment, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Nathan G DodderCenter for Tobacco and the Environment, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Xiaochen TangIndoor Environment Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Wenhao ChenEnvironmental Health Laboratory Branch, Center for Laboratory Sciences, California Department of Public Health, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ashley L MerianosUniversity of Cincinnati, School of Human Services, Sacramento, CA, USA.
E Melinda Mahabee-GittensCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Hugo DestaillatsIndoor Environment Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCommercial tobacco use leaves hazardous chemical residues in indoor environments, known as thirdhand smoke. The residue has been found to be highly persistent and can still be detected months and years after indoor smoking has ceased.

objectiveThis systematic review synthesizes studies that measure surface wipe nicotine, a validated thirdhand chemical marker, to propose reference levels for indoor thirdhand smoke contamination.

methodsPubMed and SCOPUS were searched for field studies published since 1991 across a wide range of indoor settings and with different smoking histories. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting 3167 nicotine measures across 102 independent groups. Pooled mean and median estimates of surface nicotine were calculated based on the smoking history of indoor environments.

resultsHomes of nonsmokers with long-term bans had the lowest nicotine levels (weighted median = 0.97 µg/m²; 95% CI: 0.47-1.37). Higher levels were found in previously smoked-in homes (4.57 µg/m²; CI: 3.20-8.11), currently smoked-in homes (51.09 µg/m²; CI: 21.64-113.53), and environments with prolonged heavy smoking (1,028.00 µg/m²; CI: 568-2,749). We propose four reference levels indicating increasing thirdhand smoke exposure hazards: Level 1 ( < 2 µg nicotine/m²) reflects low hazard in nonsmoking homes with long-term bans. Level 2 (2 - <20 µg/m²) represents moderate hazard in homes of smokers with indoor bans or former smoking. Level 3 (20 - <200 µg/m²) indicates high hazard from active indoor smoking. Level 4 ( ≥ 200 µg/m²) marks a very high hazard in places with sustained indoor smoking, such as casinos. SIGNIFICANCE: Findings show a clear pattern of increasing nicotine surface concentrations, from nonsmoker homes with smoking bans to indoor spaces with sustained indoor smoking. The proposed reference levels offer practical benchmarks for evaluating THS contamination and guiding remediation decisions. Their potential applicability as a health risk metric is discussed. IMPACT STATEMENT: The chemical residue from tobacco smoke, also known as thirdhand smoke, is an indoor pollutant of growing concern. Starting January 1, 2026, California law requires disclosure of thirdhand smoke in residential real estate transactions. Based on field studies conducted across a wide range of indoor settings and with different smoking histories, this is the first study to show a clear pattern of increasing nicotine surface concentrations, from nonsmoker homes with smoking bans ( < 2 µg/m

Indexed as

nicotinereference levelssecondhand smokesurface wipesthirdhand smoketobacco smoke residue

Identifiers

PMID42443511

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.