Passive smoking, also known as secondhand smoke exposure, does not contribute a measurable dose of ionizing radiation expressed in millisieverts (mSv) per year. The unit mSv is used to quantify radiation dose from sources like cosmic rays, natural background radiation, medical imaging, or occupational exposure to radioactive materials. Passive smoking involves inhaling smoke from burning tobacco products and exhaled smoke from smokers, which primarily exposes individuals to chemical toxins and carcinogens, not ionizing radiation.
To clarify, the millisievert (mSv) is a unit measuring the biological effect of ionizing radiation on human tissue. Typical sources of radiation exposure include natural background radiation (averaging about 2.4 mSv per year worldwide), medical procedures, and occupational exposure in nuclear industries. Passive smoking, however, is a health risk due to chemical compounds such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and numerous carcinogens, but it does not emit ionizing radiation and therefore does not contribute to an mSv dose.
The health risks from passive smoking are well documented and include increased risks of lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory infections, and other illnesses caused by toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke. These risks are chemical and biological in nature, not radiological. Thus, it is not scientifically meaningful to express passive smoking exposure in terms of mSv per year.
In summary, passive smoking does not produce ionizing radiation and does not contribute to an annual radiation dose measured in millisieverts. Its health impact is significant but entirely unrelated to radiation exposure metrics.
