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Smoke

Smoke is a suspension in air (aerosol) of small particles resulting from incomplete combustion of a fuel.

It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires (including stoves and lamps) and fireplaces, but may also be used for pest control (fumigation), communication (smoke signals), defense (smoke-screen) or inhalation of tobacco or other drugs.

Smoke is sometimes used as a flavouring agent and preservative for various foodstuffs.

Smoke is also sometimes a component of internal combustion engine exhaust gas, particularly diesel exhaust.

Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.

The smoke kills by a combination of thermal damage, poisoning and pulmonary irritation caused by carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other combustion products.

Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Smoke", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.

For more information, see the following related content on ScienceDaily:

Half of Inhaled Soot Particles from Diesel Exhaust, Fires Gets Stuck in the Lungs

June 27, 2012 — The exhaust from diesel-fueled vehicles, wood fires and coal-driven power stations contains small particles of soot that flow out into the atmosphere. The soot is a scourge for the climate but also ... read more

Peat Fire Emissions May Shed Light on Climate Change

Jan. 16, 2015 — Researchers are beginning a study of the climatic effects of peat fire emissions. "This project is going to provide the much-needed information on peat smoke aerosol properties for integration ... read more

Central American Fires Impact U.S. Air Quality And Climate

Oct. 13, 2006 — Scientists using NASA satellites and computer models have shown that pollutants from Central American biomass burning can influence air quality and climate in the United ... read more

NASA Ties El Nino Induced Drought To Record Air Pollution From Fires

Apr. 4, 2003 — Scientists using NASA satellite data have found the most intense global pollution from fires occurred during droughts caused by El Nino. The most intense fires took place in 1997-1998 in association ... read more

Wood-Burning Stoves: Harmful or Safe?

Jan. 16, 2012 — Wood-burning stoves are a popular source of heating in many countries. However in recent years there has been much debate about the potential negative health effects associated with wood smoke. A ... read more

Satellite Sees Smoke from Siberian Fires Reach the US Coast

June 12, 2012 — Fires burning in Siberia recently sent smoke across the Pacific Ocean and into the US and Canada. Images of data taken by the nation's newest Earth-observing satellite tracked aerosols from the ... read more

New Type of Soot Particle Discovered from Wildfire Emissions

July 7, 2014 — A team of scientists reports the observation of a previously unrecognized form of soot particle, identified as 'superaggregates,' from wildfire emissions. These particles were detected in ... read more

Northern Wildfire Smoke May Cast Shadow On Arctic Warming

July 26, 2008 — The Arctic may get some temporary relief from global warming if the annual North American wildfire season intensifies, according to a new study. Smoke transported to the Arctic from northern forest ... read more

Underground Air Might Cause DNA Damage

Dec. 15, 2006 — Our everyday environments are full of airborne particles that are harmful to varying degrees when inhaled. Particularly damaging to our cellular DNA are the particles from the underground system in ... read more

Where There's Wildfire Smoke, There's Toxicity

Dec. 1, 2008 — Detailed particulate analysis of the smoke produced by previous California wild fires indicates that the composition posed more serious potential threats to health than is generally realized, ... read more

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