What is a surgical laser plume?
Lasers, electrocautery devices, and similar equipment are used for surgery, ablation (removal of tissues), or cauterization to vaporize, coagulate, and cut tissue. The by-products of these procedures include vapours, smoke, and particulate debris, which are collectively called plume.
Plumes may contain bioaerosols, viruses, blood fragments, cellular debris, and bacteria depending on the type of the procedure.
They also contain carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and various toxic gases and vapours. Plume may also contain chemicals that form from gases, dyes, and coolants. Plumes may contain chemicals such as formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, acrolein, phenol, butane, and benzene.
Plume may also contain blood (plasma and blood cells or pieces of cells), and related blood-borne pathogens including viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus.
Read more on their website at: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/laser_plume.html