Polyurethane-Based Face Mask as a Sampling Device for Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Abstract

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as secondhand smoking, contains human carcinogens associated with the development of many human diseases, including stroke, heart disease, leukemia, and lung cancer. Due to these adverse health effects, a sensitive and selective method is crucial for assessing the health impacts of ETS. While current methods to evaluate ETS exposure are either invasive or nonspecific and insensitive, in this study, we assessed the use of polyurethane foam face masks as a sampling medium to collect tobacco smoke-specific nicotine and nitrosamines for estimating personal exposure to ETS. This method was used in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry coupled with isotope-dilution detection. After validation by comparison with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standard method (NIOSH 2551) for nicotine, we quantitated ETS exposure in indoor and outdoor environments. The analysis shows the applicability of the method for monitoring nicotine down to ∼0.20 mg/m 3 near an outdoor smoking hotspot and up to ∼5.2 mg/m 3 in a room with burning cigarettes, all with a time resolution as short as 5 min. In comparison with the NIOSH method, the newly developed method is convenient, inexpensive, and does not require a personal sampling pump, thus can facilitate large-scale ETS exposure monitoring.

Polyurethane Foam Face Masks as a Dosimeter for Quantifying Personal Exposure to Airborne Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds

“…Previous studies demonstrated that PP- and PUF-based face masks can efficiently block human exposure to airborne PAHs and tobacco-specific nicotine and have high filtration efficiency for particle-associated aerosols. ,,− To develop face masks as a user-friendly air sampling device for assessing human exposure to multiple classes of VOCs and SVOCs, we initiated the study by testing the background levels of the target analytes in PUF-, PP-, and AC-based masks.…”

“…A total of six different brands of masks made of PUF (PUF 1 and PUF 2), polypropylene (PP, bacterial filtration efficiency ≥ 99%, PP 1 and PP 2), and activated carbon (AC, AC 1 and AC 2) were purchased from local pharmacies in Hong Kong. PP and AC masks were baked at 70 °C for 3 h prior to use and PUF masks were precleaned by soaking in IPA, ethanol, and water sequentially, and dried by baking at 100 °C before use, as described previously. , The precleaned PUF masks were used for sampling within 2 weeks.…”

Recent advances in facemask devices for in vivo sampling of human exhaled breath aerosols and inhalable environmental exposures

“…[ 101 ] with permission; e) facemask expose to tobacco smoke, reproduced from Ref. [ 102 ] with permission; f) paper strip outside in facemask to expose ambient air, reproduced from Ref. [ 77 ] with permission.…”

“…Mogridge et al [ 100 ] further assessed the comparability of facemask-based air sampler ( Figure 5 d) with the traditional inward leakage measurement technique. Facemask was applied as a personal dosimeter for quantifying environmental exposure to airborne PAHs ( Figure 5 e) and tobacco smoke ( Figure 5 f) in the Chan research group [ 101 , 102 ]. These studies showed that facemask could be a simple, convenient, and inexpensive sampler to collect inhalable air pollutants in the air compared with traditional filter/sorbent-based approaches, which usually require a sampling pump to continuously introduce the airflow.…”

A pandemic-induced environmental dilemma of disposable masks: solutions from the perspective of the life cycle

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nicotine and nitrosamines from tobacco smoke have been directly sampled using a mask to represent their concentration in the air environment. 127,128 Yuan et al inserted a solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber into a KN95 mask to collect substances from exhaled breath aerosol and analyzed its chemical composition. 129 Cai et al fixed paper strips on the surfaces of inner and outer layers of a KN95 mask to separately monitor substances in the exhaled aerosol and inhaled air.…”