title: Relationship between environmental tobacco smoke and urinary cotinine levels in passive smokers at their residence.
abstract: Studies of the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) using measured air concentrations are subject to bias. Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite detected in urine, has been recommended as a quantitative measure of nicotine intake and thus as a marker for ETS exposure in humans. The aim of this study was to correlate home indoor ETS levels with passive smokers' urinary cotinine levels. The urinary cotinine concentrations of 57 non-smoking women who spend >19 h a day at home and the nicotine levels in their living room air were measured over a period of 24 h. Nicotine and urinary cotinine levels were analyzed using GC/MS and HPLC/UV, respectively. In addition, information was collected regarding the smoking habits of the subjects' families. A significant correlation was found between the nicotine levels in indoor air and the urinary cotinine to creatinine ratio of the passive smokers. The smoking habits of the subjects' family members were also correlated to the urinary cotinine levels of the passive smokers.
authors.affiliation: The Graduate School of Health Science and Management, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyojin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngwook
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Seokju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soungeun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Changsoo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheinsoo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dongchun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine