title: Second-hand smoke and indoor air quality in public places in Gaza City.
abstract: Second-hand smoke is a major cause of preventable disease and death in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To assess how second-hand smoke impacts air quality, respirable suspended particles (PM2.5) which are emitted during cigarette and waterpipe smoking, were measured inside and outside of 18 smoking and 5 nonsmoking public venues in Gaza city. Median PM2.5 level inside the smoking venues was 117 microg/m3, which exceeds the WHO guidelines for daily PM2.5 exposure (25 microg/m3) by more than 4-fold. The median level inside the smoking venues (117 microg/m3) was significantly higher than outside the venues (43 microg/m3), and significantly higher than the median level inside non-smoking venues (40 microg/m3). By contrast particulate levels outside non-smoking venues (35 microg/m3) did not differ from the corresponding levels inside (40 microg/m3). To protect employees and the public from second-hand smoke exposure, policies prohibiting sinoking in public niaces are needed in Gaza city.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abuelaish
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Rees
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011633:Public Facilities / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution