title: Comparison of indoor air quality in smoke-permitted and smoke-free multiunit housing: findings from the Boston Housing Authority.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Secondhand smoke remains a health concern for individuals living in multiunit housing, where smoke has been shown to easily transfer between units. Building-wide smoke-free policies are a logical step for minimizing smoke exposure in these settings. This evaluation sought to determine whether buildings with smoke-free policies have less secondhand smoke than similar buildings without such policies. Furthermore, this study assessed potential secondhand smoke transfer between apartments with and without resident smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), airborne nicotine, and self-reported smoking activity were recorded in 15 households with resident smokers and 17 households where no one smoked in 5 Boston Housing Authority developments. Of these, 4 apartment pairs were adjacent apartments with and without resident smokers. Halls between apartments and outdoor air were also monitored to capture potential smoke transfer and to provide background PM2.5 concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Households within buildings with smoke-free policies showed lower PM2.5 concentrations compared to buildings without these policies (median: 4.8 vs 8.1 µg/m(3)). Although the greatest difference in PM2.5 between smoking-permitted and smoke-free buildings was observed in households with resident smokers (14.3 vs 7.0 µg/m(3)), households without resident smokers also showed a significant difference (5.1 vs 4.0 µg/m(3)). Secondhand smoke transfer to smoke-free apartments was demonstrable with directly adjacent households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This evaluation documented instances of secondhand smoke transfer between households as well as lower PM2.5 measurements in buildings with smoke-free policies. Building-wide smoke-free policies can limit secondhand smoke exposure for everyone living in multiunit housing.
authors.affiliation: Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA; erusso@bphc.org.
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Hulse
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adamkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bethune
authors.affiliation: Boston Housing Authority, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.affiliation: Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA; Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Snehal N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011638:Public Housing / Q000592:standards*; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution