Czogała J

Secondhand Exposure to Vapors From Electronic Cigarettes

INTRODUCTION Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are designed to generate inhalable nicotine aerosol (vapor). When an e-cigarette user takes a puff, the nicotine solution is heated and the vapor is taken into lungs. Although no sidestream vapor is generated between puffs, some of the mainstream vapor is exhaled by e-cigarette user. The aim of this study was to evaluate the secondhand exposure to nicotine and other tobacco-related toxicants from e-cigarettes. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured selected airborne markers of secondhand exposure: nicotine, aerosol particles (PM(2.5)), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in an exposure chamber. We generated e-cigarette vapor from 3 various brands of e-cigarette using a smoking machine and controlled exposure conditions. We also compared secondhand exposure with e-cigarette vapor and tobacco smoke generated by 5 dual users. RESULTS The study showed that e-cigarettes are a source of secondhand exposure to nicotine but not to combustion toxicants. The air concentrations of nicotine emitted by various brands of e-cigarettes ranged from 0.82 to 6.23 µg/m(3). The average concentration of nicotine resulting from smoking tobacco cigarettes was 10 times higher than from e-cigarettes (31.60±6.91 vs. 3.32±2.49 µg/m(3), respectively; p = .0081). CONCLUSIONS Using an e-cigarette in indoor environments may involuntarily expose nonusers to nicotine but not to toxic tobacco-specific combustion products. More research is needed to evaluate health consequences of secondhand exposure to nicotine, especially among vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and people with cardiovascular conditions.

Elimination kinetics of the tobacco-specific biomarker and lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol.

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is tobacco specific and has a longer half-life than other tobacco biomarkers studied thus far. An accurate measurement of the NNAL half-life is important for optimal use to assess exposure to tobacco smoke. We determined the half-life of NNAL in urine in eight daily smokers on a clinical research ward and in five occasional smokers in a real-life environment. Total NNAL in urine was monitored for 14 days in daily smokers after stopping smoking and for up to 60 days in occasional smokers. The average half-life for the terminal phase in the daily smoker group using a two-compartmental body model was 10.3 days (beta phase), and using a noncompartmental model, it was 9.1 days. In the occasional group, these values were 17.6 and 16.0 days, respectively. The alpha-phase half-lives were 14.3 and 27.8 hours for the two groups, respectively. The inter-subject coefficient of variation of the NNAL terminal half-life ranged from 14% to 30%, and the intra-subject coefficient of variation ranged from 3% to 18%. There was very good agreement between the plasma and urinary half-lives in two subjects with plasma analyses: 7.4 versus 7.9 days and 9.2 versus 10.7 days. Mean renal clearance of NNAL was 13 ± 2.3 mL/min. The terminal half-life of NNAL of 10 to 18 days indicates that this biomarker can be used to detect tobacco smoke exposure for 6 to 12 weeks after cessation of exposure and requires a similar time to assess the steady levels of NNAL after switching from one tobacco product to another. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(12):3421–5)

Simultaneous determination of nicotine and 3-vinylpyridine in single cigarette tobacco smoke and in indoor air using direct extraction to solid phase

The aim of the present study was to develop a new analytical method of chromatographic determination of two important markers of ETS exposure: nicotine and 3-vinylpyridine (3-ethenylpyridine, 3-EP) in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke of one single cigarette and in indoor air using direct solid phase extraction combined with gas chromatography. The method can be utilised for both nicotine and 3-EP determination in SS and MS of one single cigarette as well as it allows for a precise determination of compound distribution in indoor air. The application of the same analytical method for both kinds of samples allows anticipating indoor air distribution of both analysed compounds in a very precise way. The precision of the method (calculated as a relative standard deviation) was 9.78% for nicotine and 2.67% for 3-EP; whereas the accuracy (evaluated by a recovery study conducted at three different levels) was 70.1 and 87.3%, respectively. The limit of detection was 0.06 µg per cigarette for both nicotine and 3-EP. The method was evaluated by determining the compounds of interest in two commercially available brands of cigarettes as well as in the reference cigarettes 3R4F and also in indoor air polluted with tobacco smoke. Determined levels of compounds of interest in MS varied from 586 to 772 (nicotine) µg per cigarette and from 3.5 to 10.7 (3-EP) µg per cigarette. In SS smoke the level varied from 14,370 to 22,590 (nicotine) µg per cigarette and from 185 to 550 (3-EP) µg per cigarette, whereas levels in indoor air polluted with tobacco smoke varied from 50.1 to 157.3 (nicotine) µg m−3and from 7.7 to 20.8 (3-EP) µg m−3.

The Role of Pharmacists in Smoking Cessation in Poland

In Poland, 38.0% of men and 25.6% of women smoke daily. One method for expanding access to smoking cessation services is through community-based pharmacists. Surveys were administered in 2007—2008 to (a) current smokers, (b) members of a pharmacy association, and (c) pharmacy students in their final year of training. Pharmacists were the highest ranked health professionals to whom Polish smokers reported they would turn for information about pharmacological support for smoking cessation. Most pharmacists (79%) reported their knowledge allowed them to provide basic smoking cessation information to their patients. Pharmacy students reported being more able to provide information about the health consequences of tobacco smoking than to help patients quit smoking (85% vs. 61%). In Poland, community-based pharmacists are positioned to provide smoking cessation interventions to all segments of the population. To extend and promote smoking cessation efforts, comprehensive tobacco cessation training should be a required component of the pharmacy school curriculum.

Exposure of Active and Passive Smokers to Aromatic Amines Present in Tobacco Smoke

Aromatic amines, toxic agents causing methemoglobinemia and human carcinogens (2-naphtylamine, 2-toluidine), are present in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) tobacco smoke. Because of this fact, active and passive smokers are exposed to them. The aim of this study was to assess exposure of active and passive smokers to aromatic amines present in tobacco smoke. Nine popular Polish cigarette brands were smoked by a smoking machine. Aromatic amines were absorbed in HCl solution and, after removing a part of matrices and alkalinizing, they were extracted with n-hexane and concentrated. Analysis by GC-FID, preceded with derivatization (with trifluoroacetic anhydride) and purification by SPE (Florisil columns), was performed. Total amounts of analyzed aromatic amines (aniline, 2-,3-,4-toluidine, 2-,3-,4-ethylaniline, 2,4-dimethylaniline) in SS varied from ∼10 to ∼30 μg/cigarette and were several times higher than in MS. Prognostic equation was used to calculate the theoretical concentration of aromatic amines in a model room (established number of smoked cigarettes, ventilation) and to calculate the theoretical dose of aromatic amines expired by active smokers. Results were compared with environmental standards.