title: Occupational secondhand smoke is the main determinant of hair nicotine concentrations in bar and restaurant workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relative contribution of occupational vs. non-occupational secondhand tobacco smoke exposure to overall hair nicotine concentrations in non-smoking bar and restaurant employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 76 non-smoking employees from venues that allowed smoking (n=9), had mixed policies (smoking and non-smoking areas, n=13) or were smoke-free (n=2) between April and August 2008 in Santiago, Chile. Employees used personal air nicotine samplers during working and non-working hours for a 24-h period to assess occupational vs. non-occupational secondhand tobacco smoke exposure and hair nicotine concentrations to assess overall secondhand tobacco smoke exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median hair nicotine concentrations were 1.5 ng/mg, interquartile range (IQR) 0.7 to 5.2 ng/mg. Time weighted average personal air nicotine concentrations were higher during working hours (median 9.7, IQR 3.3-25.4 µg/m(3)) compared to non-working hours (1.7, 1.0-3.1 µg/m(3)). Hair nicotine concentration was best predicted by personal air nicotine concentration at working hours. After adjustment, a 2-fold increase in personal air nicotine concentration in working hours was associated with a 42% increase in hair nicotine concentration (95% confidence interval 14-70%). Hair nicotine concentration was not associated with personal air nicotine concentration during non-working hours (non-occupational exposure).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personal air nicotine concentration at working hours was the major determinant of hair nicotine concentrations in non-smoking employees from Santiago, Chile. Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure during working hours is a health hazard for hospitality employees working in venues where smoking is allowed.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Chile. Electronic address: viglesia@med.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erazo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Occupational Health, Institute of Public Health, Chile. Electronic address: perugaa@who.int.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Droppelmann
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Department, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steenland
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aceituno
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orellana
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Control Unit, Ministry of Health, Chile.
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acuña
authors.affiliation: National Capacity Building Unit, Tobacco Control Program, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peruga
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology, and Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Breysse
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology, and Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navas-Acien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D012147:Restaurants; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke; Hair nicotine concentration; Non-smoking employees; Personal sampler