title: Measurement of fine particles and smoking activity in a statewide survey of 36 California Indian casinos.
abstract: Despite California's 1994 statewide smoking ban, exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) continues in California's Indian casinos. Few data are available on exposure to airborne fine particles (PM₂.₅) in casinos, especially on a statewide basis. We sought to measure PM₂.₅ concentrations in Indian casinos widely distributed across California, exploring differences due to casino size, separation of smoking and non-smoking areas, and area smoker density. A selection of 36 out of the 58 Indian casinos throughout California were each visited for 1-3 h on weekend or holiday evenings, using two or more concealed monitors to measure PM₂.₅ concentrations every 10 s. For each casino, the physical dimensions and the number of patrons and smokers were estimated. As a preliminary assessment of representativeness, we also measured eight casinos in Reno, NV. The average PM₂.₅ concentration for the smoking slot machine areas (63 μg/m³) was nine times as high as outdoors (7 μg/m³), whereas casino non-smoking restaurants (29 μg/m³) were four times as high. Levels in non-smoking slot machine areas varied: complete physical separation reduced concentrations almost to outdoor levels, but two other separation types had mean levels that were 13 and 29 μg/m³, respectively, higher than outdoors. Elevated PM₂.₅ concentrations in casinos can be attributed primarily to SHS. Average PM₂.₅ concentrations during 0.5-1 h visits to smoking areas exceeded 35 μg/m³ for 90% of the casino visits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Ruo-Ting
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Kai-Chung
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acevedo-Bolton
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Klepeis
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Repace
authors.forename: Wayne R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hildemann
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002140:California; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005715:Gambling; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution