We know smoking is injurious to health, so what about plants? It might sound strange but smoking can harm your plants in many ways, and extensive smoking over a long period of time could theoretically contribute to the death of a plant.

Studies have already found that the smoke from forest fires negatively impacts trees that survive big blazes. The smoke seems to decrease a tree’s ability to photosynthesize and grow efficiently. There have also been a few studies about how cigarette smoke affects the growth and health of indoor plants. One small study found that plants exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 minutes per day grew fewer leaves. Many of those leaves browned and dried out or dropped off sooner than leaves on plants in a control group.

The studies on plants and cigarettes are limited, but it does seem that at least concentrated doses of smoke can be damaging. Plants can absorb some of the toxins from cigarette smoke into their leaves and through their roots, and this may reduce their ability to grow well.

Plants can capture nicotine and hold onto it in high quantities for a surprising amount of time. It can take over a week for high levels of nicotine to drop, even after the source of smoke has been removed much longer than it takes for the levels to rise in the first place. It’s thought that cigarette smoke may reduce a plant’s ability to grow properly. It could stunt new leaf growth and make it harder for leaves to grow healthy or strong. Your plant might start to grow more slowly, and won’t put up new shoots as readily. New leaves may be lost, or stay pale and yellow.

The smoke particles that we see, however, are particulate pollution which can possibly coat the leaf surface, reducing photosynthesis. These particulates can also clog stomata pores, reducing gas exchange in the leaf. These effects are bad for plants. Cigarette smoke, and some other smokes, also contains tar which may clog stomata pores.

A new study by the Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety has found that cigarette butts are harmful to plant growth. In particular, they reduce the germination rate and shoot length. Most cigarette butts contain a filter made of cellulose acetate fiber, a type of bioplastic.

The study, led by Anglia Ruskin University, found the presence of butts in soil reduced the germination success and shoot length of clover by 27% and 28% respectively. For grass, germination success reduced by 10% and shoot length by 13%. Approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded every year, and the majorities are not properly disposed. However, it can take anywhere from 18 months to 10 years for the filter to fully decompose.

A recent study found that plants can absorb nicotine and other toxins from cigarette smoke. This may indicate that plants and smoking cigarettes could be a way to filter indoor air to make it healthier for human residents. In the study, researchers exposed peppermint plants to cigarette smoke.

After just two hours, the plants had high levels of nicotine in them. The plants absorbed nicotine from the smoke through their leaves but also through their roots. It took time for the level of nicotine in the plants to go down. After eight days, half of the original nicotine remained in the mint plants.

What this means is that you could use plants to absorb toxins from cigarette smoke and the air in general. Plants are capable of trapping and even holding onto nicotine and other substances in the air, soil, and water. That said, too much smoke in a small area could have more detrimental effects on your plants rather than the other way around.

M.phil student

PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi.