K. Phillips et al., ASSESSMENT OF AIR-QUALITY IN PARIS BY PERSONAL MONITORING OF NONSMOKERS FOR RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE, Environment international, 24(4), 1998, pp. 405-425
Exposure to respirable suspended particles (RSP), environmental tobacc
o smoke (ETS) particles, nicotine, and 3-ethenylpyridine (3-EP) was as
sessed in Paris for 222 subjects during March and April 1995. Personal
monitors were worn over a 24-h period, each subject providing a saliv
a sample for cotinine analysis both prior to and following the monitor
ing period. Comprehensive lifestyle questionnaires were also completed
before and after the monitoring period. The study comprised housewive
s in one group, primarily for assessing exposures in the home, and off
ice workers in a second group to assess exposures in the workplace. A
single personal monitor was worn by each housewife, while employed sub
jects wore one monitor at work and a separate monitor at home and else
where. Based on median 24-h time-weighted average exposures, the most
highly exposed subjects to RSP, ETS particles, nicotine, and 3-EP were
office workers living with smokers. Additionally, based upon nicotine
exposures, subjects who were also employed in locations where smoking
was allowed were the most exposed. Based upon median levels, housewiv
es living in nonsmoking households would be exposed to 1 cigarette equ
ivalent per y or less, compared with between 1.2 and 3 cigarette equiv
alents per y for housewives living in smoking households. Subjects liv
ing and working with smokers had the highest median saliva cotinine le
vel of 1.6 ng mL(-1). Using a cut off level of 25 ng mL(-1) to indicat
e active smoking, up to 4.7% of the subjects were found to have misrep
orted themselves as nonsmokers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.