title: Environmental monitoring of secondhand smoke exposure.
abstract: The complex composition of secondhand smoke (SHS) provides a range of constituents that can be measured in environmental samples (air, dust and on surfaces) and therefore used to assess non-smokers' exposure to tobacco smoke. Monitoring SHS exposure (SHSe) in indoor environments provides useful information on the extent and consequences of SHSe, implementing and evaluating tobacco control programmes and behavioural interventions, and estimating overall burden of disease caused by SHSe. The most widely used markers have been vapour-phase nicotine and respirable particulate matter (PM). Numerous other environmental analytes of SHS have been measured in the air including carbon monoxide, 3-ethenylpyridine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes and volatile organic compounds, as well as nicotine in dust and on surfaces. The measurement of nicotine in the air has the advantage of reflecting the presence of tobacco smoke. While PM measurements are not as specific, they can be taken continuously, allowing for assessment of exposure and its variation over time. In general, when nicotine and PM are measured in the same setting using a common sampling period, an increase in nicotine concentration of 1 μg/m(3) corresponds to an average increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM. This topic assessment presents a comprehensive summary of SHSe monitoring approaches using environmental markers and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these methods and approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. pbreysse@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Apelberg
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hepp
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avila-Tang
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gundel
authors.forename: S Katharine
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Melbourne F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hovell
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Klepeis
authors.forename: Camille C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navas-Acien
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Repace
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Samet
authors.forename: Patrick N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Breysse
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine