[Quantification of passive smoking in an survey of smoking coaches in the French high-speed trains (TGV Sud-Est)].
OBJECTIVE
Passive smoking has been demonstrated in many situations. We designed an experimental protocol to measure passive smoking in the coaches of the French high-speed train (TGV) and to attempt to identify interindividual variability in sensitivity.


METHODS
Ten healthy non-smokers (5 males, 5 females) volunteered to avoid exposure to tobacco smoke for the duration of the study. On three separate occasion they were subjected to a 5-hour trip in the smoking coaches of the French TGV (south-east line). Twelve-hour urine samples were collected before each trip and over the following 72 hours. Urinary cotinine was measured in each fraction.


RESULTS
Significant levels of urinary cotinine were found for a prolonged period in these passive smokers. Elimination of the tobacco by-product was similar to the level observed in subjects smoking 2 to 5 cigarettes per day. The kinetics of cotinine elimination was reproducible from one trip to another for any given individual, however significant interindividual variability was observed despite normal liver function in all.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of urinary cotinine is potentially useful in non-smokers who are involuntarily exposed to tobacco smoke and who wish to know the extent of their exposure.
Roussel
G
G
Hôpital Laennec, Paris.
Roche
D
D
Brahimi
N
N
Lequang
N T
NT
Salem
A
A
Ekindjian
O G
OG
D000328:Adult; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D003367:Cotinine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011890:Railroads; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003367:Cotinine
Quantification du tabagisme passif au cours d'une expérience effectuée dans les wagons fumeurs du TGV sud-est.