Determination of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in restaurant and tavern workers in one US city

During a pilot study of indoor air quality in restaurants, a survey was performed in 34 medium-priced restaurants in six countries in Asia, Europe, and North America using a uniform protocol. The concentration of selected constituents of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) present in occupied areas was determined during lunch and dinner periods by measuring the levels of four particulate-phase markers and two gas-phase markers. The particulatephase markers determined were respirable suspended particles, ultraviolet particulate matter, fluorescing particulate matter, and solanesol particulate matter. The gas-phase markers were nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine (3-EP). Correlation between the markers was investigated to explore an improved monitoring approach. It was concluded that at least one marker in each phase was necessary to describe adequately the ETS load. An assessment was made of the ventilation system in each restaurant, and effective ventilation rates were determined based on CO 2 measurements. Smoking activity was also monitored. These data were used to model nicotine and 3-EP concentrations that resulted in a satisfactory prediction of their levels, especially at the higher concentrations. A total number of 1370 questionnaires were returned by the restaurant patrons in five countries. In some countries, dissatisfaction rates above 20% were observed for draft, freshness of air, and noise. The dissatisfaction rates related to tobacco smoke were less than 20%, which is lower than would be predicted based on measured ETS levels. Based on the results of this international pilot study, recommendations are given for future studies of this type.

Section: Particulate Matter Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

“…Means of 3.1-4.5 mg/m 3 (Moschandreas and Vuilleumier, 1999) and 6.0 mg/m 3 (Maskarinec et al, 2000) were reported in smoking sections of US restaurants. Mean nicotine levels of 14.8 mg/m 3 (Muramatsu et al, 1987) (Meger et al, 2000), and 0.4-46 mg/m 3 averaged at 7.0 mg/m 3 (Hyva¨rinen et al, 2000) have been published.…”

Section: Nicotine Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An international survey of indoor air quality, ventilation, and smoking activity in restaurants: a pilot study

Bohanon

Piadé

Schorp

et al. 2003

“…Moreover, restaurant and bar wait-staff and bartenders are exposed to concentrations of indicators of ETS that are at least as high as those for people in other smoking-permitted workplaces (Jenkins and Counts, 1999). Bartenders and bar wait-staff are exposed to the highest concentrations of indictors of ETS among hospitality workers (Jenkins and Counts, 1999;Johnsson et al, 2003), and bartenders that work in a single room bar are exposed to approximately 10 times more of the indicators of ETS than those that work in larger, multiroom bars (Maskarinec et al, 2000). In an additional study, employees working in the gaming areas in casinos were determined to be exposed to indicators of ETS at levels that were greater than those observed in a representative sample of the US population (Trout et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evaluation of the indoor air quality in bars before and after a smoking ban in Austin, Texas

Waring

Siegel

2006

This study assessed differences in the indoor air quality and occupancy levels in seventeen bars due to a city-wide smoking ban that took effect on September 1, 2005 in Austin, Texas, USA. We measured the following in each venue before and after the smoking ban: mean number of occupants, mean number of lit cigarettes, temperature, relative humidity, room volume, and PM 2.5 , CO, and CO 2 concentrations. Additionally, VOC measurements were conducted at three of the venues. There was not a statistically significant change in occupancy, but the best estimate PM 2.5 concentrations in the venues decreased 71-99%, a significant reduction in all venues, relative to the pre-ban levels; CO concentrations decreased significantly in all but one venue; and concentrations of VOCs known to be emitted from cigarettes decreased to below the detection limit for all but two common compounds. These results suggest that the smoking ban has effectively improved indoor air quality in Austin bars without an associated decrease in occupancy.

“…Results of at least one workplace study (Maskarinec et al, 2000 ) -albeit in much different environments -have indicated poor agreement between individual personal monitor concentrations of ETS and those collected from nearby stationary area samplers, but good agreement between pooled data sets. For this study, when the data set is taken as a whole, median personal exposure concentrations were in good agreement with median area concentrations.…”

Section: Jenkins Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analytical chemical procedures used in this study were identical to those used in our previous studies (e.g., Jenkins et al, 1996;Maskarinec et al, 2000 ). Vapor phase samples were analyzed for nicotine and 3 -EP, according to the method of Ogden (1991 ).…”

Section: Analysis Of Indoor Air and Ets Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental tobacco smoke in an unrestricted smoking workplace: area and personal exposure monitoring

Jenkins

Maskarinec

Counts

et al. 2001

Self Cite

The objective of this investigation was to determine the extent of areal and day -to -day variability of stationary environmental tobacco smoke ( ETS ) concentrations in a single large facility where smoking was both prevalent and unrestricted, and to determine the degree of daily variation in the personal exposure levels of ETS constituents in the same facility. The subject facility was a relatively new four -story office building with an approximate volume of 1.3 million ft 3 . The exchange of outside air in the building was determined to be between 0.6 and 0.7 air changes per hour. Eighty -seven area samples ( excluding background ) were collected at 29 locations over the course of 6 days of sampling. Locations included offices and cubicles occupied by smokers and nonsmokers, common areas, and the computer and mail rooms. Twenty -four nonsmoking subjects wore personal sampling systems to collect breathing zone air samples on each of 3 days in succession. This generated a total of seventy -two 8 -h time -weighted average ( TWA ) personal exposure samples. In all samples, respirable suspended particulate matter, ultraviolet light -absorbing and fluorescing particulate matter, solanesol, nicotine, and 3 -ethenyl pyridine were determined. With the exception of a few locations, tobacco -specific airborne constituents were determined in all samples. Not surprisingly, areas with the highest ETS constituent concentrations were offices and cubicles of smokers. Median and 95th percentile concentrations for all area samples, excluding background, were determined to be 1.5 and 8.7 g / m 3 for nicotine, and 8.2 and 59 g / m 3 for ETS -specific particles ( as solanesol -related particulate matter, Sol -PM ), respectively. Personal exposure concentrations of ETS components were similar to those levels found in the area samples ( median nicotine and Sol -PM concentrations were 1.24 and 7.1 g / m 3 , respectively ), but the range of concentrations was somewhat smaller. For example, the 95th percentile 8 -h TWA nicotine and ETS -specific particle ( as Sol -PM ) concentrations were 3.58 and 21.9 g / m 3 , respectively. Intrasubject variation of daily concentrations ranged from 20% to 60%, depending on the component. Self -reported proximity to smokers was supported by higher ETS concentrations determined from the personal monitors, but only to a modest extent. Although smoking was completely unrestricted inside the main office areas of the facility, ETS levels, either areal or from personal exposure measurements, were lower than those estimated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration to be present in such facilities.