# My hunch about woodsmoke burning my eyes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hunch-about-woodsmoke-burning-my-eyes/102092>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 5, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hunch-about-woodsmoke-burning-my-eyes/102092 "2002-04-05T23:31:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hunch-about-woodsmoke-burning-my-eyes/102092/1 "2002-04-05T23:31:43Z")

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Woodsmoke contains wood ash. Wood ash contains lye. Ergo, would the amount of lye in the smoke burn my eyes, or is it just the particulate matter? I am experiencing a long-lasting burn right now.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-hunch-about-woodsmoke-burning-my-eyes/102092/2 "2002-04-06T01:00:20Z")

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There are a host of different chemical [irritants in wood smoke](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=10&hl=en&safe=off&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=irritants+in+wood+smoke&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off).  
Some of these chemicals, such as acrolein, are potent [lachrymators](http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/lachrymator.html). Inorganic hydroxides are probably not volatile enough to be a major eye irritant in smoke.