A toxic air pollutant more than anything else endangers the health of our planet.
One example of an air pollutant is smoke. It’s common to have ideas for saving the environment like growing plants in your homes or using articles pour vapoteurs beloeil instead of regular smoking. It’s working towards protecting the earth is essential for healthier surroundings.
However, plants can suffer when they are exposed to cigarette smoke. So how does cigarette smoke harm your plants? Does the smoke affect plant growth?
How does cigarette smoke harm your plants?
When you smoke a cigarette, a great number of chemicals are released. The cigarette smoke rises along with these chemicals exposing your plants to it. It can cause the plants to reduce the intake of carbon dioxide (CO2). It can clog the pores of the leaves and the stem, keeping them from exhaling oxygen properly. Such harmful chemicals may also block sunlight that can obstruct photosynthesis entirely.
A study mentioned that a twenty-minute plant exposure to cigarette smoke diminishes photosynthesis by 50%, damaging the chlorophyll.
On top of that, the roots of the plant suffer from cigarette smoke. It harms some essential microorganisms in the soil and affects the roots from functioning. The roots absorb carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke and restrict the plant’s power to absorb nitrogen, ensuring fewer nutrients and reducing oxygen. It weakens the roots and may not be able to take water well. If that happens, they may shrivel up soon.
Does cigarette smoke affect plant growth?
It does affect the growth of plants. Some aspects were already expounded above.
There have been studies on how cigarette smoke affects the growth and health of plants. The common conclusion is that it destroys the plants and hampers them to grow due to hazardous chemicals. According to one study, when plants are exposed to cigarette smoke in 30 minutes, the plants grow fewer leaves. The leaves usually droop and wilted sooner even with the presence of sunlight and proper watering. When they are deprived of adequate carbon dioxide, burned-like marks appear, and the leaves look pale green, brownish, and yellowish. Exposure to smoke seems to create an impact on the plant’s growth and development.
An old experiment of the University of Illinois, between two seedlings, demonstrated that the seedling exposed in the air with tobacco smoke had shown abnormal growth compared to the other that they grew in pure air.
The differences as manifested in the study after six days:
| In Pure Air | In The Air with Tobacco Smoke |
| 13.9 cm in length | 0.75 cm in length |
| Stems grew in a vertical manner | Stems grew in a horizontal manner |
| With slender stems | With greatly thickened stems |
| Leaf buds in red color | Leaf buds in pale yellow color |
Conclusion
Cigarette smoke can destroy plant life. The pollution in the air caused by cigarettes is ten times greater than a diesel car exhaust. Just as cigarettes are damaging to humans, their smoke harm plants’ growth by the smoke’s intervention with their photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrition uptake.
Therefore, when you cannot avoid smoking, think of the effects that may cause harm to plants. You may try vaping since it has fewer toxic chemicals. However, vaping is still not a safe practice though.
