Tobacco smoke particles and indoor air quality (ToPIQ-II) – a modified study protocol and first results

BACKGROUND: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)-associated particulate matter (PM) has to be seen as an independent health hazard and needs to be discussed separately from the already well-known toxic and carcinogenic compounds contained in cigarette smoke. We believe that brand-specific amounts of PM are of public interest and should be investigated. METHODS: An automatic environmental tobacco smoke emitter was developed and placed into a glass-chamber to generate cigarette smoke as reliably as possible. Cigarettes were smoked automatically according to a standardized protocol. Mean concentrations (C(mean)) and area under the curve (AUC) of PM2.5 released by the brands P&S, Virginia (without filter) and the 3R4F standard research cigarette of the University of Kentucky, USA, were measured and compared with each other. RESULTS: C(mean) PM2.5 of 3R4F reference was 1,725 μg/m(3), for P&S: 1,982 μg/m(3) and for Virginia without filter: 1,525 μg/m(3). AUC PM2.5 for 3R4F reference was: 527,644 μg/m(3)×sec, for P&S: 606,171 μg/m(3)×sec, and for Virginia without filter: 464,788 μg/m(3)×sec. CONCLUSIONS: Our modified ToPIQ-II study protocol shows significant brand-specific differences in the amounts of PM2.5 released by cigarettes into the environment, when compared to 3R4F reference cigarettes. We believe that information about PM-release of all relevant brands in relation to reference cigarettes should be published. In the light of PM as an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality, this may serve as a basis for further epidemiologic investigations.