ASSESSMENT OF AIR-QUALITY IN PARIS BY PERSONAL MONITORING OF NONSMOKERS FOR RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE

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.