RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA — Most people are familiar with the ill effects of first and second hand smoking on the body, but a new study has found that even third-hand exposure to tobacco smoke poses a health risk.

According to a study published in Clinical Science, third-hand smoke comes from exhaled cigarette residue getting absorbed into surfaces, causing toxins to accumulate in like clothing, curtains, carpets, and furniture.

Bystanders can be exposed to the toxins through skin absorption, with children especially vulnerable since they are in close contact with household surfaces.

Researchers found that mice exposed to sections of fabric imbued with third-hand smoke were found to have liver damage after just one month. They suffered further molecular damage to both the liver and brain after two to six months.

The exposure also increased insulin resistance in the mice, and upped the release of the stress hormone epinephrine, making them prone to type-2 diabetes and immune fatigue.

Though the research was conducted on animals, it nevertheless draws attention to the dangers of cigarette smoke even on a third-hand basis.

Further studies should investigate the effects on humans, and possibly determine what effect long-term exposure will have on the body.