National Research Council. Indoor Pollutants . National Academy Press, 1981. This category includes only the most dangerous cancer-causing substances, like asbestos and radon. Lung Cancer and Other Disorders , December 1992.
Secondhand smoke contains arsenic, cyanide, ammonia, and formaldehyde.
These are just a few of the more than 4,000 chemical compounds found in secondhand smoke, of which 43 are cancer-causing compounds. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1979. Nonsmokers exposed to cigarette smoke have in their body fluids significant amounts of nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other evidence of secondhand smoke exposure. 1988 Surgeon General's Report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking , pp. Secondhand smoke has much higher levels of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide than the direct smoke a smoker inhales.