Assessment of environmental tobacco smoke and respirable suspended particle exposures for nonsmokers in Lisbon by personal monitoring

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-4120(98)00009-9Get rights and content

Abstract

One hundred and ninety seven randomly selected nonsmoking subjects collected air samples near their breathing zone by wearing personal monitors for 24-h. The study was centred in Lisbon, Portugal and comprised housewives in one group, primarily for assessing exposures in the home, and office workers in a second group to assess the contribution of the workplace to overall exposure. Samples collected were analysed for respirable suspended particles (RSP), nicotine, 3-ethenylpyridine and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) particles using ultraviolet absorbance, fluorescence and solanesol measurements. Saliva cotinine analyses were also undertaken to confirm the nonsmoking status of the subjects. A large proportion of the data was below the limit of quantification and, apart from housewives from nonsmoking homes, there were few significant differences noticeable in 24-h time weighted average (TWA) concentrations between subject groups. Based on median TWA concentrations the highest exposed office workers encountered 43 μg m−3 RSP, 9.3 μg m−3 ETS particles and 0.58 μg m−3 nicotine. Overall the workplace contributed the most to nicotine and ETS particle exposure, whereas RSP exposure was higher away from the workplace. Annualised exposure estimates suggest that the most highly exposed subjects would receive approximately 20 cigarette equivalents per annum based upon upper decile levels.

References (24)

  • K. Phillips et al.

    Assessment of air quality in Turin by personal monitoring of nonsmokers for respirable suspended particles and environmental tobacco smoke

    Environ. Int.

    (1997)
  • R.A. Davis et al.

    Determination of nicotine and cotinine: comparison of GC and radioimmunoassay methods

  • Cited by (25)

    • Tobacco industry efforts subverting International Agency for Research on Cancer's second-hand smoke study

      2000, Lancet
      Citation Excerpt :

      The first type of study monitored nonsmokers' secondhand smoke exposure using personal air samples. Pilot studies were done by the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory26–27 and UK Hazleton Laboratory;28 Hazleton subsequently did studies in the same countries as IARC,26–36 as well as in Asia and Latin America. Despite the reluctance of Hazleton's parent company, PM was eager to promote an interpretation of the studies' findings; later, the Aug 16, 1998, Sunday Telegraph reported that the studies demonstrated that “real-life levels” of secondhand smoke probably do not cause fatal diseases.37

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text