Smoking

[team8racing]

I have a very long time until my project is due, I'm actually getting ahead for a first!

I did a persuasive essay on to smoke or not. Now, we need to create a phenomenal science project. I am stuck of where I should go because smoking is such a big topic.

On other search engines things came up with: smoke dectors and all, well, I dont want to do that

I want to do something maybe on the body, but I dont know how to do that.

HELP! :]

[barretttomlinson]

Hi,

Have you checked out the Science Buddies Project Ideas guide?

I found:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... 4&from=TSW

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... 4&from=TSW

So how about a study of lung capacity in nonsmokers vs. smokers? You do have to contend with the rules of experimenting on human subjects, approval of the scientific review committee and rules on informed consent :

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... _src.shtml

The other obvious area to look at is heart disease and oral cancer incidence in smokers ( I have heard stories of teens getting cancer of the oral cavity from tobacco use, and two good friends who smoked heavily have died before their kids got out of high school from heart disease. None of my friends who have not smoked have died early.)

Use a little creative thinking and I am sure you can come up with an AWESOME project. Best of luck on this excellent project area!

Barrett Tomlinson

[adance]

This is a very important topic of research. Despite the well-known risks, about 1 in 5 Americans still smoke.

You mentioned an interest in secondhand smoke, you might also be interested in a newly-defined concept of "third hand smoke": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/healt ... smoke.html

Since you mentioned wanting to build something with your hands--I wonder if it's possible to build/develop some sort of device that detects the toxins from smoke? Then you could look into, for example, what toxins are present while someone's in a room smoking, and different times after they leave?

I'm afraid how to measure the toxins puts me a little out of my depth...maybe other experts could chime in here? Here's a blog I found that links to a study it says has info on ways to measure cigarette toxins: http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/200 ... ce_13.html or I wonder if there's a simple way to measure particles in the atmosphere?

You could even expand the study and go out into your environment to look at particle/toxin levels--eg compare the smoking and nonsmoking sections of a restaurant (if your town has such sections), and then different parts of the nonsmoking section closer or further from the smokers?

If you want to do something on the human body--keep in mind there are regulations about using people for science projects--maybe you could measure blood pressure or heart rate during, right after, and several hours after having a cigarette? Or compare body reaction to a cigarette to reaction to something like nicotine gum--if you want to encourage your subjects to quit.

I'm just throwing a couple ideas out there, I'm sure your brainstorming can come up with more. Good for you for getting a head start!

[team8racing]

THANK YOU!!!

[ChrisG]

Here is a very simple procedure that could be adapted to estimate airborne particles in different rooms of your house.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p009.shtml
For other more complicated procedures, try a search for "air quality sampling", "total suspended particulates" and similar search terms. Here is one good resource on the topic:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/files/ambi ... hd-2-1.pdf
Good luck!
Chris

[HeatherL]

Hi team8racing,

This is a very interesting topic, and clearly one that is important to you personally.

I found a cool online book made available by the National Academies Press, which discusses the measurement of passive smoking and its health effects: http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309037301

Hopefully the large amount of information here will help you to come up with a specific project.

Good luck, and please keep us posted with your project!

Best wishes,
Heather