Exposures to benzene and other volatile compounds from active and passive smoking

Journal Article · · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1987.9935820· OSTI ID:5284137

Wallace, L; Pellizzari, E; Hartwell, T D; Perritt, R; Ziegenfus, R

Personal exposures and breath concentrations of approximately 20 volatile organics were measured for 200 smokes and 322 nonsmokers in New Jersey and California. Smokers displayed significantly elevated breath levels of benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, m + p-xylene, o-xylene, and octane. Significant increases in breath concentration with number of cigarettes smoked were noted for the first four aromatic compounds. Based on direct measurements of benzene in mainstream cigarette smoke, it is calculated that a typical smoker inhales 2 mg benzene daily, compared to 0.2 ng/day for the nonsmoker. Thus, cigarette smoking may be the most important source of exposure to benzene for about 50 million citizens of the United States. Passive smokers exposed at work had significantly elevated levels of aromatics in their breath. Indoor air levels in homes with smokers were significantly greater than in nonsmoking home during fall and winter but not during spring and summer. The average annual increase in homes with smokers was 3.6 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ for benzene and 0.5 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ for styrene-an approximate 50% relative increase in each case. Thus, exposure to benzene and styrene may be increased for the approximately 60% of children and other nonsmokers living in homes with smokers.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5284137
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 42:5; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ALKANES
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
BREATH
CALIFORNIA
CHILDREN
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
DRINKING WATER
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION II
FEDERAL REGION IX
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INFORMATION
MATTER
NEW JERSEY
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCTANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
RESIDUES
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SMOKES
SOLS
STYRENE
TOBACCO SMOKES
USA
VARIATIONS
VOLATILE MATTER
WATER
XYLENES