system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What would happen if you smoked a cigarette on the ISS?

I just accidentally watched Event Horizon (1999) instead of the reputable science fiction movie Interstellar (2014) that I meant to. Half of the space crew in this movie are smoking. What would really happen if someone was to smoke a cigarette on the ISS? What if people chain smoked on the ISS as they do in Event Horizon (1999)?

Would these chemicals ever dissipate enough to avoid detection? or would they forever be detectable within the air supply and monitoring systems?
gpt
the ISS has what's called a TCCS. A snippet from Nasa's website. These are designed specifically to filter smelly things in the air. 

**TCCS traps them in replaceable beds.**

**Major components of the TCCS include an activated charcoal bed, a catalytic oxidizer assembly, a lithium hydroxide sorbent bed, a fan, and a flow meter. Although the TCCS removes most atmospheric contaminants with the charcoal bed, the high temperature catalytic oxidizer is required for removal of lower molecular weight compounds, such as methane.**

**TCCS inlet air is drawn directly from the open cabin atmosphere into the activated charcoal bed by the TCCS fan, which is downstream of the charcoal bed. The charcoal bed is impregnated with phosphoric acid, which enables it to absorb ammonia. Downstream of the fan, the process air is split into two flow streams; one going to the Catalytic Oxidizer Assembly, and one to a bypass line. The flow rate to the Catalytic Oxidizer Assembly, measured by a flow meter, is used to control the speed of the fan to provide a specified rate of flow to the oxidizer. The remaining flow is sent through the bypass.**

**A regenerative heat exchanger and a resistance heater are used to heat the air entering the oxidizer to approximately 400° C. The catalyst oxidizes the organic compounds to CO2 and water, and converts the inorganic compounds to acidic gases such as hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, and sulfur dioxide. Air leaving the catalyst bed is cooled in the regenerative heat exchanger and is circulated through the LiOH sorbent bed. This bed removes any acid by-products produced during the oxidation process. The air exiting the sorbent bed combines with the unprocessed bypass air and returns directly to the ducts.**