Breathe Easier
Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Irritants
Smoke, fumes, dust and strong chemicals can irritate the airways, and for many people the most useful step is to meet them less often or in smaller amounts. This page covers tobacco smoke, outdoor and wildfire smoke, workplace exposures and everyday cleaning chemicals, and what health agencies advise about each.
General information, not medical advice. Last updated November 1, 2026. Written by the AlternativeMed editorial team. Not medically reviewed.
Start here
- Keep tobacco smoke out of your home and car; the CDC says there is no safe level of secondhand smoke.
- Check the local Air Quality Index before outdoor activity, and on smoky days spend your time in the cleanest indoor room you have.
- If work seems to bring on coughing, wheeze or chest tightness, write down when it happens and tell your doctor about your job and the materials you use.
Be careful with
- Do not stop or change a prescribed inhaler or other breathing medicine because you are avoiding triggers. Avoiding triggers is added to your care plan, not a replacement for it.
- A respirator or mask is the last layer, not the first. NIOSH says workplace guidance puts removing or replacing the hazard first, and people can still develop work-related asthma while using protective equipment.
- Cloth masks do not protect against wildfire smoke, according to AirNow; if a mask is needed, the page names an N95 respirator.
Get help when
- Wheeze, chest tightness, cough or breathlessness that keeps coming back, especially if it is worse at work or better on weekends and holidays (NIOSH describes this pattern for work-related asthma).
- Breathing that is getting worse, a cough that will not clear, or any breathing trouble in a child or an older adult. The sources we read do not name an emergency number; if breathing is severe, use your local emergency number.
- Symptoms that keep returning after you have reduced exposure, or that start at a new job or after a change of home.
- If you have asthma or another lung condition and your symptoms are not controlled by your prescribed plan, talk to your doctor or nurse promptly.
About Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Irritants
What this goal means
This goal is about reducing how much irritating smoke, fume, dust or chemical vapor reaches your lungs. Irritants do not affect everyone the same way: people with asthma or other lung or heart disease, children and older adults are the groups the US EPA names as most likely to be affected by particle pollution.
It is a practical goal rather than a treatment. Agencies such as the CDC and the American Lung Association describe it as one of the main ways to protect the lungs and to keep an existing condition from getting worse.
1,2What it can feel like
Common reactions to airway irritants are a scratchy throat, cough, wheeze, a tight chest or feeling short of breath after being around smoke, strong fumes or dust. The EPA lists aggravated asthma, decreased lung function and irritation of the airways among the effects linked to particle pollution.
For work-related asthma, NIOSH says symptoms can begin soon after exposure or months to years after repeated exposure, and that they often improve on weekends or vacations.
1,3Where irritants come from
Tobacco smoke: MedlinePlus says secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of them toxic and about 70 linked to cancer.
Outdoor air: the AirNow Air Quality Index covers five major pollutants, including particle pollution and ground-level ozone. Wildfire smoke is a particle-heavy example.
Work: NIOSH says over 300 known workplace substances can cause or worsen asthma, including chlorine-based cleaning products, strong fumes, chemical vapors, dusts and wood smoke. OSHA describes fine silica dust released when stone, concrete, brick or mortar is cut, ground or drilled.
Fuel smoke at home: the WHO says about 2.1 billion people cook with solid fuels or kerosene on open fires or inefficient stoves. This is a larger issue in some parts of the world than others.
4,5,3,6,7Relevant conditions
Asthma is the best known condition linked to irritants: the NHS lists air pollution and smoke among asthma triggers, and notes that childhood exposure to air pollution or cigarette smoke is a factor that makes asthma more likely later. Long-term irritant exposure at work is also linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); one review puts the share of COPD attributable to occupational vapors, gases, dusts and fumes at 14%.
This page does not diagnose anything. If you think a condition may be involved, see a doctor.
8,9Realistic expectations
Lowering exposure can reduce triggers, but it cannot remove every irritant from daily life, and the studies we found vary a lot in quality. Some results are strong for secondhand smoke and weaker or mixed for other measures; the evidence labels on this page say which is which.
NIOSH says stopping or reducing exposure to triggers is the most important step in managing work-related asthma, and that in some cases symptoms do not improve until you have been away from exposures for a long time.
3Who this applies to
Anyone can benefit, but it matters most for people with asthma, COPD or heart disease, children, older adults, pregnant people, outdoor workers and people in dusty, chemical or smoky jobs. The CDC adds that women exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have babies with low birth weight.
1,10Related conditions and symptoms
A manageable starting plan
An educational starting point, not a personal prescription. Adjust it to your own situation and any advice from your clinician.
Your first actions
- Make your home and car smoke-free.
- Check the AQI each day you plan outdoor exercise or work, and set up a cleaner-air room before smoke season.
- If work seems to trigger symptoms, start a symptom log and book a visit with your doctor.
- Ask your workplace about controls for dust, fumes and chemicals.
Optional additions
- Keep an N95 respirator at home for unavoidable smoky outdoor tasks.
- Move workouts away from busy roads.
- Review which cleaning and disinfecting products you use and how often.
- Read the linked indoor air quality and quit-smoking goals.
What to track
- When and where cough, wheeze or tightness appears, and whether it eases on days off.
- The local AQI on the days you notice symptoms.
- Any new product, task or job that began before symptoms.
When to reassess
Give changes a few weeks and see whether the pattern shifts. If symptoms continue, get worse, or appear to be linked to your job, see a doctor rather than adding more products.
When to seek professional support
- Asthma and Lung UK helpline: 0300 222 5800 (named on the NHS page we read).
- American Lung Association Lung HelpLine: 1-800-586-4872 (named on the page we read).
What helps
Ordered by how well the research supports each step. Evidence strength is shown on every card; precautions sit next to the advice.
Start here
Keep your home and car smoke-free
High certaintyAddresses: Fewer smoke chemicals in the air you and your family breathe
Why it may help: The CDC states that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and says it can trigger an asthma attack in a child and raises the risk of chest infections in children. MedlinePlus says the only full protection is not allowing smoking indoors.
How to apply it: Ask visitors to smoke outside and away from doors and windows, and keep the car smoke-free. Our sources read do not give a tested distance, so we do not state one.
Who it may suit: Everyone, especially children, pregnant people, and people with asthma, COPD or heart disease.
Precautions: If someone in your home smokes, they can find support to quit through the linked goal page. Avoid shaming; quitting is hard.
10,4Check the Air Quality Index and plan around it
Moderate certaintyAddresses: Less time breathing polluted outdoor air
Why it may help: AirNow explains that AQI values above 100 are unhealthy first for sensitive groups and then for everyone as values rise. The EPA says small particles can get deep into the lungs and some may reach the bloodstream.
How to apply it: Look up your local AQI before you exercise or work outdoors. On days with poor air, wait for better air before strenuous activity, as AirNow advises.
Who it may suit: People with lung or heart disease, older adults, children, outdoor exercisers and workers.
Precautions: The AQI is a guide for a whole area; local smoke or traffic can differ.
5,11,1Make one room your cleaner-air room on smoky days
Moderate certaintyAddresses: Lower smoke exposure indoors during a smoke event
Why it may help: AirNow suggests spending as much time as possible in a room with cleaner air, keeping doors and windows closed, running a portable air cleaner continuously, and using high-efficiency filters (MERV-13 or higher) in central systems set to recirculate.
How to apply it: Choose one room, run an air cleaner there if you have one, and keep cool with fans or air conditioning. If you cannot stay cool at home, AirNow mentions clean air shelters or friends or family.
Who it may suit: People in areas affected by wildfire smoke, and anyone with lung or heart disease.
Precautions: Do not leave an older box-fan DIY air cleaner unattended (AirNow). Heat is a risk too: do not close up a hot home without a way to keep cool.
11Do not add indoor smoke and fumes on smoky days
Low certaintyAddresses: Avoids stacking indoor irritants on top of outdoor ones
Why it may help: AirNow advises limiting frying, sweeping, vacuuming and the use of gas, propane or wood-burning stoves and furnaces when smoke is in the air.
How to apply it: Postpone frying and vacuuming where you can, and keep wood or gas heating use low during a smoke event.
Who it may suit: Households with a smoke event outside, and people with asthma or COPD.
Precautions: This is practical guidance rather than a tested package. Do not go without heating or cooking needs that affect safety or warmth.
11,12Tell your doctor about your job and track your pattern
Moderate certaintyAddresses: Faster recognition of work-related breathing problems
Why it may help: NIOSH advises telling your doctor about your job, tasks and the materials you use, noting when and where symptoms occur, and recognizing that symptoms often improve away from work. It also says over 300 workplace substances can cause or worsen asthma.
How to apply it: Keep a short symptom log for a few weeks: day, place, task, symptoms and any change on days off. Take it to your appointment.
Who it may suit: Anyone with new or worsening cough, wheeze or chest tightness who works with chemicals, dust, fumes or cleaning products.
Precautions: Do not wait to be sure; report new or worsening breathing problems. Never stop prescribed medicine on your own.
3,13At work, ask for controls before relying on a mask
Moderate certaintyAddresses: Less exposure at the source
Why it may help: NIOSH describes a hierarchy: remove or replace hazardous materials, then isolate processes or install local exhaust ventilation, then safer work practices and training, and only then respiratory protection used together with the other measures. It tells workers to report malfunctioning protective equipment or engineering controls.
How to apply it: Raise concerns with your supervisor or safety contact. For silica-generating tasks such as cutting or drilling concrete or stone, OSHA has standards for construction and general industry.
Who it may suit: Workers in cleaning, healthcare, construction, stone, wood, grain, farming and chemical jobs.
Precautions: Local rules differ. If a worker has asthma-like symptoms, an occupational physician can advise.
13,6Additional options
Use an N95 respirator when you cannot avoid heavy smoke
Low certaintyAddresses: May cut the particles you inhale outdoors
Why it may help: AirNow says cloth masks will not protect against wildfire smoke and that N95 respirators can provide protection. For unavoidable outdoor work in poor air, AirNow also advises limiting time outdoors to essential tasks and taking frequent breaks in clean indoor air.
How to apply it: Choose a respirator rather than a cloth mask; AirNow does not give fit instructions on the page we read, so follow the maker's guidance.
Who it may suit: Outdoor workers and people who must be outside during heavy smoke.
Precautions: A respirator makes breathing harder for some people; people with heart or lung disease should ask a doctor first. We did not find trial evidence in the sources we read, so the rating reflects agency guidance rather than studies.
11Avoid burning wood or trash
Low certaintyAddresses: Less smoke released near you and your neighbors
Why it may help: The American Lung Association lists not burning wood or trash among ways to reduce outdoor pollution exposure, and lists residential wood burning among indoor emission concerns.
How to apply it: Use other ways to dispose of waste. If you heat with wood, ask a heating professional about safer options.
Who it may suit: Households and neighborhoods with open burning.
Precautions: Local fire and heating rules vary.
2,12Keep hard exercise away from heavy traffic and bad air days
Low certaintyAddresses: Lower inhaled pollution during exercise
Why it may help: The American Lung Association advises avoiding outdoor exercise on bad air days and near heavy traffic, and checking AirNow for local conditions.
How to apply it: Move workouts indoors or to a quieter street or park on poor-air days. See the activity page for people with a lung condition.
Who it may suit: Runners, cyclists and children who play outdoors.
Precautions: Staying active still matters; the aim is to change when and where, not stop.
2,14Still being studied
Cleaner-burning stoves in homes that cook on open fires
Mixed findingsAddresses: Less household smoke and possibly fewer chest infections in young children
Why it may help: The RESPIRE randomized trial in highland Guatemala gave 534 households a chimney stove or kept open wood fires. The main result was not statistically significant (rate ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.63-1.13), though some severe pneumonia outcomes were lower with the stove, and the stove cut carbon monoxide exposure by about 50% on average. The WHO describes household air pollution from solid fuels as a major global burden.
How to apply it: This is relevant mainly to homes that cook with open fires or solid fuels. We do not describe a purchase or installation.
Who it may suit: Households that cook on open wood fires or other solid fuels.
Precautions: Results depended on how exposure was measured. A stove reduced but did not remove exposure.
15,7Smoke-free laws
Mixed findingsAddresses: Fewer health problems linked to secondhand smoke across a population
Why it may help: In Scotland, admissions of children for asthma fell by an average of 18.2% a year after smoke-free legislation (95% CI 14.7 to 21.8) compared with the rate in March 2006 (before, they had been rising 5.2% a year). The Cochrane review of 77 studies found clearer benefit for heart outcomes, and said evidence of an effect on respiratory and perinatal outcomes was inconsistent.
How to apply it: This is population-level evidence, so it supports a smoke-free home but cannot prove what changes for one family.
Who it may suit: Policy and community level; relevant to anyone who spends time in public places.
Precautions: Both studies are observational; the Cochrane review notes randomized trials are not possible for laws.
16,17Food & nutrition
Food and drink
We did not find, in the agency pages read for this page, a food or drink that protects the lungs from smoke, fumes or dust. Lowering exposure is the step the sources focus on.
People who smoke are sometimes tempted by supplements. High-dose beta-carotene supplements in smokers have their own page on this site; please read it before taking any.
2Remedies & supplements
Traditional use, laboratory findings and human trials are kept apart. "Natural" does not mean safe.
We did not find a remedy or supplement with reliable human evidence for this goal in the sources we read. Be cautious of any product that promises a result, and read the "What to avoid" tab for claims that do not hold up.
Therapies & care
Established care for breathing symptoms starts with a clinician. Asthma and COPD are treated with plans a doctor or nurse prescribes, and work-related asthma needs a doctor who knows your job and exposures. Avoiding triggers is a part of those plans, not a replacement.
Assessment for work-related asthma
Moderate certaintyMedical assessment NIOSH advises telling your doctor about your job, tasks and materials, and says a doctor can diagnose work-related asthma. It suggests employers consider medical surveillance (questionnaires, symptom screening and follow-up testing) and, without a program, consulting an occupational physician.
Who it may suit: Workers with new or worsening cough, wheeze or chest tightness linked to work.
Precautions: Do not stop prescribed medicines. Report new or worsening symptoms promptly.
3,13Support to stop smoking
High certaintyBehavioral and medical support The American Lung Association says it is never too late to benefit from quitting, and NIOSH lists quit-smoking resources for workers who smoke. Methods are covered on the linked goal page.
Who it may suit: Anyone who smokes and wants to cut their own and others' exposure.
Precautions: Ask a clinician or pharmacist about options, especially in pregnancy or with other conditions.
2,13Lung HelpLines
Not enough evidenceInformation and support The American Lung Association page we read names a free Lung HelpLine at 1-800-586-4872, and the NHS page names an Asthma and Lung UK helpline at 0300 222 5800, for people who want to talk through breathing concerns.
Who it may suit: People in the US or UK with questions about lung health.
Precautions: These are information lines, not emergency services.
12,8What to avoid
Habits, products and claims that can get in the way. Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to the professional who prescribed it.
Risks that apply to most people
Indoor smoking, including 'by the window' or 'only when children are out'
High certaintyWhy: The CDC says there is no safe level of secondhand smoke and that harmful inflammatory and respiratory effects can start within 60 minutes of exposure. MedlinePlus says the only full protection is no indoor smoking.
Who it applies to: Homes and cars shared with children, pregnant people or anyone with lung or heart disease.
Try instead: Smoke outside and away from others, and look at support to quit.
10,4Heavy exercise on smoky or poor-air days
Moderate certaintyWhy: AirNow advises easing off strenuous activity on smoky days, and the American Lung Association advises avoiding outdoor exercise on bad air days.
Who it applies to: Anyone, especially people with asthma, COPD or heart disease.
Try instead: Move activity indoors, shorten it or choose another day.
11,2Burning wood or trash
Low certaintyWhy: The American Lung Association lists not burning wood or trash as a way to reduce lung exposures.
Who it applies to: Households and neighbors, especially where smoke settles.
Try instead: Use other disposal methods and ask about cleaner heating options.
2,12Personal triggers to check
Working around strong fumes, chemical vapors or dusts without proper controls
Moderate certaintyWhy: NIOSH names irritant chemicals, metal dust, strong fumes, vapors (such as ammonia, isocyanates and solvents), dusts and wood smoke among triggers of work-related asthma.
Who it applies to: Workers in manufacturing, farming, construction, cleaning and healthcare.
Try instead: Ask for controls first; report symptoms to your doctor and workplace contact.
3,13Cutting, grinding or drilling stone, concrete or brick without dust control
Moderate certaintyWhy: OSHA says this releases respirable crystalline silica, which raises the risk of silicosis, lung cancer, COPD and kidney disease; about 2.3 million people in the US are exposed at work.
Who it applies to: Construction, stone and masonry workers, and DIY work indoors.
Try instead: Follow workplace silica rules and ask a safety professional about dust controls; for home projects, hire a professional where dust is heavy.
6Frequent, heavy use of disinfectant and bleach sprays
Low certaintyWhy: A meta-analysis of healthcare workers found a higher risk of new asthma in nurses exposed to cleaning surfaces (effect size 1.43) and bleach (2.44), but the evidence was rated low. In US nurses, weekly disinfectant use for surfaces was linked to COPD incidence (adjusted hazard ratio 1.38).
Who it applies to: Cleaners, healthcare workers and people who disinfect often at home.
Try instead: Use only what you need, in a well-aired space, and ask a pharmacist or safety contact about safer routines. Do not mix cleaning products.
18,19,12Products that need caution
Scented sprays, candles and incense as 'air fresheners'
Not enough evidenceWhy: The American Lung Association says some fragrances are safe and others can be harmful, and lists fragrances and essential oils under scents and chemicals, with no details on how much harm. We did not find a source we read that settles this for candles.
Who it applies to: People with asthma or scent-sensitive airways.
Try instead: Try unscented products and fresh air first. See the indoor air page.
12Unsupported claims
'Lung detox' or 'lung cleanse' products can undo smoke damage
Not enough evidenceWhy: We did not find, in the agency pages and studies read for this page, human evidence that a detox product reverses smoke or dust effects. The American Lung Association's advice is to stop smoking and reduce exposures.
Who it applies to: Marketing for teas, supplements and steam treatments.
Try instead: Concentrate on lowering exposure, quitting smoking and regular check-ups.
2'A cloth mask is enough for wildfire smoke'
Moderate certaintyWhy: AirNow says cloth masks will not protect you from wildfire smoke and that N95 respirators can provide protection.
Who it applies to: Anyone planning to be outdoors in smoke.
Try instead: Spend time indoors in a cleaner air room, or use an N95 respirator if you must be outside.
11Common mistakes
Relying on a mask alone at work
Moderate certaintyWhy: NIOSH says respiratory protection should be used with elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative controls, and notes that you can still develop work-related asthma while using protective equipment.
Who it applies to: Workers in chemical, dust and cleaning jobs.
Try instead: Ask for controls at the source, and report equipment problems.
13,3Ignoring a pattern of symptoms that improve on days off
Moderate certaintyWhy: NIOSH says symptoms of work-related asthma often improve on weekends or vacations, and that tracking when and where symptoms occur can help the doctor.
Who it applies to: Anyone with recurring cough or wheeze at work.
Try instead: Keep a short log and see a doctor.
3Changing or skipping prescribed breathing medicine to 'see if avoiding triggers is enough'
Moderate certaintyWhy: Avoiding triggers helps manage asthma, but NIOSH advises working with your doctor on a personal asthma control plan and taking medicines as prescribed.
Who it applies to: People with asthma or COPD.
Try instead: Keep your plan and talk to your doctor before any change.
3,13Evidence & safety
What the research shows
Evidence is strongest that secondhand smoke harms health and that there is no safe level (CDC). For wildfire smoke, workplace hazards and cleaning chemicals, our sources are mainly agency guidance and observational studies, so the practical steps are reasonable but not all proven by trials. Studies of cleaner stoves and smoke-free laws are mixed for respiratory outcomes.
Limits of the evidence
- Smoke-free law studies are observational; Cochrane found respiratory results inconsistent.
- Cleaning-chemical studies were mostly in nurses and had a high risk of bias in the meta-analysis.
- The wildfire-smoke steps come from agency guidance, not randomized trials we read.
- The RESPIRE trial's main result was not statistically significant.
- We could not read some agency pages in full, so some details are not covered here.
Precautions and interactions
- Do not stop or change a prescribed inhaler or medicine without talking to your prescriber.
- Respirators can make breathing harder; people with lung or heart disease should ask a doctor first.
- Do not mix cleaning products.
Life-stage considerations
- Children: the CDC says secondhand smoke raises the risk of chest infections, ear infections and more frequent, severe asthma, and that infants exposed after birth are more likely to die of SIDS.
- Pregnancy: the CDC says women exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have babies with low birth weight; talk to a clinician about workplace chemicals.
- Older adults and people with heart or lung disease: the EPA lists these among groups most likely to be affected by particle pollution.
Warning signs
- Wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness that is worsening or does not settle.
- Cough or breathing symptoms that follow a pattern linked to work.
- Any breathing trouble in a young child or an infant.
- Breathing symptoms that continue after you have reduced exposure.
Claim checks
There is a safe amount of secondhand smoke
High certaintyThe CDC and MedlinePlus both state there is no safe level or amount of secondhand smoke.
10,4Cloth masks protect against wildfire smoke
Moderate certaintyAirNow says cloth masks will not protect you from wildfire smoke; N95 respirators can provide protection.
11A mask or respirator removes the workplace risk
Moderate certaintyNIOSH says you can still develop work-related asthma while using protective equipment and that controls at the source come first.
3,13Common cleaning and disinfecting products are harmless for airways
Low certaintyA meta-analysis found higher asthma risk in healthcare workers exposed to cleaning and disinfecting agents, and a large nurse cohort linked weekly disinfectant use with COPD. Both are observational; the review rated the overall evidence low.
18,19Smoke-free laws reduce children's asthma admissions
Mixed findingsA Scottish study found a drop in admissions after the law, but the Cochrane review calls evidence on respiratory outcomes inconsistent.
16,17Questions people ask
What counts as a respiratory irritant?
Anything that irritates the airways when breathed in, such as tobacco smoke, wildfire or wood smoke, strong fumes, chemical vapors, dusts and some cleaning chemicals. NIOSH says over 300 workplace substances alone can cause or worsen asthma.
Is any amount of secondhand smoke safe?
No. The CDC says there is no safe level of exposure, and MedlinePlus says there is no safe amount.
How can I tell if my work is causing my symptoms?
NIOSH says symptoms often improve on weekends or vacations and suggests noting when and where they happen. Tell your doctor about your job and the materials you use; a doctor can diagnose work-related asthma.
What should I do on a smoky day?
AirNow suggests staying in a cleaner-air room with windows and doors closed, running a portable air cleaner, avoiding frying and vacuuming, and easing off strenuous activity.
Do cloth masks help with wildfire smoke?
AirNow says cloth masks will not protect you from wildfire smoke, and that N95 respirators can provide protection.
Are cleaning products a risk for the lungs?
Some studies, mostly in nurses, link frequent use of cleaning and disinfecting products with asthma and COPD, but the evidence is observational and rated low in one review. Use what you need, with fresh air, and never mix products.
I have asthma. Is avoiding irritants enough?
Not by itself. The NHS and NIOSH describe avoiding triggers as part of managing asthma along with a personal control plan and prescribed medicines. Do not stop medicines without your prescriber.
Does the AQI matter if I feel fine?
AirNow says air above 100 on the AQI is unhealthy first for sensitive groups and then for everyone as values get higher, and the EPA says small particles can reach deep into the lungs. How you feel is not a reliable guide.
Is vaping a safer way to avoid smoke?
This page does not cover vaping. See the linked goal on stopping smoking or vaping.
When should a child or older adult be checked?
Any breathing trouble in a young child, and worsening symptoms in older adults or people with heart or lung disease, should be checked by a clinician promptly. If breathing is severe, use your local emergency number.
References
- US EPA. Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter (PM) (last updated May 5, 2026). Read 2026-11-01. source
- American Lung Association. Protecting your lungs. Read 2026-11-01. source
- CDC / NIOSH. Work-related Asthma. Read 2026-11-01. source
- MedlinePlus. Secondhand Smoke. Read 2026-11-01. source
- AirNow (US EPA). Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics. Read 2026-11-01. source
- OSHA. Respirable Crystalline Silica. Read 2026-11-01. source
- WHO. Household air pollution and health (fact sheet). Read 2026-11-01. source
- NHS. Asthma: Causes. Read 2026-11-01. source
- Murgia N, et al. Occupational COPD: the most under-recognized occupational lung disease? Respirology. 2022. PMID 35513770. source
- CDC. Health Problems Caused by Secondhand Smoke. Read 2026-11-01. source
- AirNow (US EPA). When Smoke is in the Air. Read 2026-11-01. source
- American Lung Association. Indoor Air Pollutants. Read 2026-11-01. source
- CDC / NIOSH. Preventing Work-related Asthma. Read 2026-11-01. source
- American Lung Association. What Makes Air Unhealthy. Read 2026-11-01. source
- Smith KR, et al. Effect of reduction in household air pollution on childhood pneumonia in Guatemala (RESPIRE): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2011. PMID 22078686. source
- Mackay D, et al. Smoke-free legislation and hospitalizations for childhood asthma. N Engl J Med. 2010. PMID 20843248. source
- Frazer K, et al. Legislative smoking bans for reducing harms from secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. PMID 26842828. source
- Romero Starke K, et al. Are Healthcare Workers at an Increased Risk for Obstructive Respiratory Diseases Due to Cleaning and Disinfection Agents? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021. PMID 34068014. source
- Dumas O, et al. Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses. JAMA Netw Open. 2019. PMID 31626315. source
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