Environmental fate and effects of nicotine released during cigarette production

Abstract

A variety of test methods were used to study the gradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of nicotine. Studies included determination of the octanol-water partition coefficient, conversion to CO2 in soil and activated sludge, and evaluation of the effects on microbiological and algal inhibition as well as plant germination and root elongation. The partitioning of nicotine between octanol and water indicated that nicotine will not bioaccumulate regardless of the pH of the medium. The aqueous and soil-based biodegradation studies indicated that nicotine is readily biodegradable in both types of media. The microbiological inhibition and aquatic and terrestrial toxicity tests indicated that nicotine has low toxicity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Persistence, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity Profiler model, based on the structure of nicotine and the predictive rates of hydroxyl radical and ozone reactions, estimated an atmospheric half-life of less than 5.0 h. Using this value in the Canadian Environmental Modeling Center level III model, the half-life of nicotine was estimated as 3.0 d in water and 0.5 d in soil. This model also estimated nicotine discharge into the environment; nicotine would be expected to be found predominantly in water (93%), followed by soil (4%), air (3%), and sediment (0.4%). Using the estimated nicotine concentrations in water, soil, and sediment and the proper median effective concentrations derived from the algal growth, biomass inhibition, and buttercrunch lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seed germination and root elongation studies, hazard quotients of between 10(-7) and 10(-8) were calculated, providing further support for the conclusion that the potential for nicotine toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial species in the environment is extremely low.

Nutrient uptake, yield and taste of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and soil chemical properties following amendment with uncomposted and composted tobacco waste and cattle manure

“…43 This finding was expected, especially from TSC-CM which had undergone prior composting. 16 With regard to TSC, rapid degradation of nicotine has been reported to occur between a few hours to a few days in soil in other studies, 32,33 thus explaining its low assimilation by the plants. Subsequently, risk of nicotine toxicity from consumption of the oilseed rape fertilised with TSC was minimal.…”

“…On the other hand, other studies have attested to the positive benefits of direct application of tobacco waste such as favourable electrical conductivity (EC) of soil solution, increased microbial activity due to high carbon substrate, high macronutrient supply, insecticidal properties and improved soil aggregate stability due to phenolic properties. [29][30][31] Further, Nota et al 32 and Seckar et al 33 posit that the risk of nicotine toxicity with raw tobacco application is low due to rapid degradation in soil. As such, there is scope for evaluation of the potential of use of tobacco waste as a soil ameliorant so as to develop recommendations that are relevant across diverse smallholder farms.…”

Characterization of a Novel Nicotine Hydroxylase from Pseudomonas sp. ZZ-5 That Catalyzes the Conversion of 6-Hydroxy-3-Succinoylpyridine into 2,5-Dihydroxypyridine

“…Therefore, nicotine is the primary toxic substance in tobacco wastes [3,4]. These wastes have been designated as "toxic and hazardous wastes" under European Union Regulations [5]. Since tobacco waste is a major problem for public health and the environment, it is important to establish appropriate detoxification methods.…”

Effects of Inoculum Amount, Initial pH, and Nicotine Load on the Set-Up of Bioaugmented System withPseudomonasSp. HF-1 to Treat Tobacco Wastewater

“…Approximately 33 million tons of tobacco wastewater is discharged in China every year, which includes many toxic substances such as nicotine, aminobiphenyl, naphthylamine, and benzo(a)pyrene [3,4]. Among which, nicotine can dissolve in water and diverse kinds of organic solvents [5]. It is responsible for carcinogenicity, teratogenesis, and mutagenesis.…”