Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure of Young Children as Assessed Using a Passive Diffusion Device for Nicotine

Abstract

Indoor air nicotine concentrations in the homes of young children (ages 1-3 years) were monitored for 48 h as part of a study to assess uptake, metabolism and urinary excretion of nicotine and its metabolites, including cotinine. Cotinine has been used as a biological marker for personal exposure to envi ronmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The evaluation of the utility of cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to ETS depends upon an accurate measure of the nico tine exposure. Personal exposure to nicotine was monitored using a passive diffusion monitor worn by the children. Identical-type stationary monitors were also placed in each home to measure indoor nicotine for comparison to personal monitors. Home and personal monitoring were conducted for a 48- hour period proceeding admittance of the children into a hospital clinical unit where smoking was prohibited. Personal monitors were also utilized to deter mine personal exposure to nicotine in the clinical unit. A total of 42 children and 34 homes were successfully monitored for airborne nicotine. Personal exposure ranged up to 47 μg/m³ with an arithmetic mean of 6.43 μg/m³ (geo metric mean = 2.52 μg/m³). In this population, 68% of the children were exposed to < 5.0 μg/m³ nicotine in the home. Higher exposures (5-25 μg/m³) were observed in 24% of the children. Indoor exposure in the home, measured by the stationary monitors, ranged up to 94 μg/m³ with an arithmetic mean of 8.43 μg/m ³ (geometric mean = 2.24 μg/m³). The higher levels of nicotine found with the stationary monitors indicated that ETS exposure in the central family room of each residence was greater than that observed when mobility (personal monitoring) was a factor. The passive diffusion monitors were easy to use and, combined with capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-spe cific detection, allowed for nicotine detection limits as low as 0.025 μg/m³.

Keywords

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)Nicotine Children Diffusion monitor

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