title: Effects of hookah smoking on indoor air quality in homes.
abstract: Hookahs (water pipes) are rapidly increasing in popularity worldwide. Evidence suggests that although perceived as safer than cigarette smoke, hookah smoke may be as, or even more, dangerous as cigarette smoke.
  
  
  
  Air samples from 33 homes-11 where only hookah-smoking occurred, 12 with only cigarettes and 10 with no smoking-were collected to analyse concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, elemental and organic carbon and carbon monoxide (CO). Air quality was assessed in rooms where smoking occurred and in an adjacent room.
  
  
  
  Hookah and cigarette smoking impaired home air quality. The rooms in which hookahs were smoked showed the highest concentrations for all pollutants. CO was significantly greater in the rooms where hookahs were smoked than in the cigarette-smoking rooms and the non-smoking households (p<0.05). In addition, CO levels in the rooms adjacent to where hookah was smoked were 2.5-fold to 4-fold greater than those in the smoking and non-smoking rooms of the cigarette homes (p<0.05). PM2.5levels were also elevated in hookah homes compared to cigarette and non-smoking homes, although not significantly different.
  
  
  
  This study, the first of its kind, demonstrates potentially hazardous levels of home air pollution in rooms where hookahs are being smoked as well as in adjacent rooms. These levels were greater than those in cigarette smoking homes, raising concerns about potential negative health effects on all individuals living in homes where hookahs are smoked.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.|College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA.|Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.|New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Weitzman
authors: New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.|Hatta Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE.
authors: Afzal Hussein
authors: AH
authors: Yusufali
authors: New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.|Hatta Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE.
authors: Fatma
authors: F
authors: Bali
authors: Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: M J Ruzmyn
authors: MJR
authors: Vilcassim
authors: Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Shashank
authors: S
authors: Gandhi
authors: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Peltier
authors: Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Arthur
authors: A
authors: Nadas
authors: New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.|College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA.|Department of Population Health, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Sherman
authors: Department of Pediatrics, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.|Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
authors: Lily
authors: 0000-0001-9716-1983
authors: L
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Pediatrics, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Population Health, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Jenni
authors: J
authors: Shearston
authors: Department of Pediatrics, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Su Hyun
authors: 0000-0002-5527-7520
authors: SH
authors: Park
authors: College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA.|Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.|New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
authors: Terry
authors: T
authors: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012907:Smoking; D000075387:Smoking Water Pipes; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Environment; Non-cigarette tobacco products; Secondhand smoke