title: Monitoring an outdoor smoking area by means of PM2.5measurement and vegetal biomonitoring.
abstract: The extension of pollutant accumulation in plant leaves associated with its genotoxicity is a common approach to predict the quality of outdoor environments. However, this approach has not been used to evaluate the environmental quality of outdoor smoking areas. This study aims to evaluate the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) by assessing particulate matter 2.5 μm (PM2.5) levels, the pollen abortion assay, and trace elements accumulated in plant leaves in an outdoor smoking area of a hospital. For this, PM2.5was measured by active monitoring with a real time aerosol monitor for 10 days. Eugenia uniflora trees were used for pollen abortion and accumulated element assays. Accumulated elements were also assessed in Tradescantia pallida leaves. The median concentration of PM2.5in the smoking area in all days of monitoring was 66 versus 34 μg/m3in the control area (P < 0.001). In addition, the elements Al, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, and V in Tradescantia pallida and Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Pb, and Zn in Eugenia uniflora were in higher concentration in the smoking area when compared to control area. Smoking area also showed higher rate of aborted grains (26.1 ± 10.7 %) compared with control (17.6 ± 4.5 %) (P = 0.003). Under the study conditions, vegetal biomonitoring proved to be an effective tool for assessing ETS exposure in outdoor areas. Therefore, vegetal biomonitoring of ETS could be a complement to conventional analyses and also proved to be a cheap and easy-handling tool to assess the risk of ETS exposure in outdoor areas.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estresse Oxidativo e Poluição Atmosférica, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Prédio 3, CEP: 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Silveira Fleck
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxicologia e Essencialidade de Metais, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Hornos
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxicologia e Essencialidade de Metais, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Toxicologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavia Valladão
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Thiesen
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estresse Oxidativo e Poluição Atmosférica, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Prédio 3, CEP: 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Instituto de Educação e Pesquisa (IEP)-Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio Luis
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Amantea
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estresse Oxidativo e Poluição Atmosférica, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Prédio 3, CEP: 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. crhoden@ufcspa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Claudia Ramos
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rhoden
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D034823:Tradescantia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Biomonitoring; Environmental tobacco smoke; Genotoxicity; Metals; Particulate matter; Pollen abortion