Different Types of Smoke

Smoke is a collection of airborne particulates and gasses that are emitted in the air when a material undergoes a process of combustion or pyrolysis. After this process, the smoke is released in the air in the form of a mist of solid and liquid particles. Smoke can be produced by different materials and under different circumstances, and there are 4 main types of smoke.

The 4 Different Types of Smoke

• Dry smoke is produced when materials such as wood, paper, tobacco, or herbs burn fast and create a high temperature. The smoke is visible and the odor varies from pleasant to repulsive. This type of smoke is the most common in our everyday environment.
• Wet smoke is generated when materials like rubber or plastic undergo a slow-burning process with no visible flame. It has a sharply strong taste and smell that you’ve probably noticed if you’ve ever smelled burning plastic.
• Protein smoke, on the other hand, is produced by materials that evaporate rather than burn. The smell generated when cooking meat is a typical example. This is an invisible smoke that can produce an extremely pungent odor. The protein residue is released in the air in the form of grease and soot that coats the kitchen’s surfaces.
• Fuel and oil smoke is generated by the burning of fossil fuels and oils. This residue is released in the air in evaporated and heavy smoke that’s very noticeable for the human eye and can have different colors with black being the most dominant one.

No matter what kind of smoke we inhale, they can all cause health problems, even death.

Different Types of Tobacco (Cigarette) Smoke

Tobacco smoke is in a category of its own. Hand-rolled cigarettes, pipes, regular cigarettes, herbal cigarettes, marijuana, menthol cigarettes, cigars, vaping devices, water pipes – they all produce smoke, but are the different types of smoke equally harmful?

Smokers of light, hand-rolled cigarettes, and vapes might argue that this smoke is not very damaging to their health and the health of the people around them, however, according to the studies of the American Cancer Society, there is no safe form of tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke affects your mouth and throat, circulation, brain, heart, lungs, stomach, reproductive system, bones, and skin.

Second-hand smoke has the same exact effect on your body. And unfortunately, it’s still common for people to be exposed to this kind of smoke and odors in their home or working environment.

Tobacco smoke is one of the most common causes of death in the world, and that’s exactly why it’s very important to avoid exposure to smoke. This is where air purifiers can be a literal life-saver.

Is There a Way to Fight These Types of Smoke?

Protection from smoke and its residues is not an easy task. You can either wear a mask, check the local air quality and adapt to the situation, or spend more time inside or outside, depending on where the source of the smoke is. However, if you spend most of your time at home or at the office, the most practical solution is to install an air purifier. There are various types of air purifiers that can help you deal with different types of smoke and odor.

These purifiers do not protect you only from the dry smoke of tobacco and similar hazardous products, but will also protect you and your loved ones from the harmful airborne particles produced by different types of dry, wet, protein and fossil fuel smoke. If you are interested to learn more about the benefits of air purifiers, check out our article – What does an air purifier do?