Continuous weeklong measurements of indoor particle levels in a Minnesota Tribal Casino Resort

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure for workers and patrons in hospitality venues is a persistent and significant public health concern. We designed this study to provide a comprehensive assessment of SHS exposure inside an Indian Tribal Casino in Minnesota. METHODS: Real-time fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) concentrations were measured at multiple locations for up to 7 days. The field monitoring provided information on the day of week and time of day variation of SHS exposure, as well as comparisons between smoking and non-smoking areas. RESULTS: Indoor PM(2.5) level was nearly 13 times the concurrent outdoor PM(2.5) level. Gaming floor hourly PM(2.5) level was highest on Saturday night, averaged at 62.9 μg/m(3). Highest PM(2.5) concentration was observed in smoking-permitted employee break room, reaching 600 μg/m(3). PM(2.5) readings in non-smoking sections exhibited same temporal pattern as the readings in smoking sections. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that indoor concentration of PM(2.5) is substantially higher than the outdoor level, posing health risks to casino workers and patrons. SHS can migrate into adjacent non-smoking areas very quickly. The casino’s ventilation system did not fully eliminate SHS. A completely smoke-free casino would be the only way to fully protect non-smoking patrons and employees from the dangers of tobacco smoke. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3553-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.