Just take a whiff of what’s in surgical smoke

What’s in surgical smoke? The following compounds have been identified in the plumes of electrocautery or laser procedures:

Acrolein

Acetonitrile

Acrylonitrile

Acetylene

Alkyl benzenes

Benzene

Butadiene

Butene

Carbon monoxide

Creosols

Ethane

Ethylene

Formaldehyde

Free radicals

Hydrogen cyanide

Isobutene

Methane

Phenol

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Propene

Propylene

Pyridene

Pyrrole

Styrene

Toluene

Xylene