MEASURED EXPOSURES BY PERSONAL MONITORING FOR RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE OF HOUSEWIVES AND OFFICE WORKERS RESIDENT IN BREMEN, GERMANY
K. Phillips et al., MEASURED EXPOSURES BY PERSONAL MONITORING FOR RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE OF HOUSEWIVES AND OFFICE WORKERS RESIDENT IN BREMEN, GERMANY, International archives of occupational and environmental health, 71(3), 1998, pp. 201-212
Objective: Exposures to respirable suspended particles (RSP) and envir
onmental tobacco smoke (ETS) were assessed in Bremen, Germany, as part
of a European air quality study. The range and level of personal expo
sures were assessed for housewives and office workers. Design: Nonsmok
ers were randomly selected from a representative sample of the populat
ion of Bremen. Housewives were recruited into one group primarily for
assessment of exposures in the home and office workers, into a second
group for assessment of the contribution of the workplace to overall e
xposure. Methods: A. total of 190 subjects collected air samples from
areas close to their breathing zone by wearing personal monitors for 2
4 h. Samples collected were analysed for RSP, ultraviolet-absorbing pa
rticulate matter (UVPM), fluorescing particulate matter (FPM), solanes
ol-related particulate matter (SolPM), nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine
(3-EP). Saliva cotinine levels for all subjects were also established.
Results: Overall the levels found were quite low, with the majority o
f results being below the limit of quantification. Workers both living
and working with smokers were exposed to the highest 24-h median quan
tities of RSP (789 mu g) and ETS particles (128 mu g) measured by FPM.
The highest nicotine levels, based on median 24-h time-weighted avera
ge concentrations, were experienced by office workers working with smo
kers (0.69 mu g m(-3)). These workers were also found to have the high
est median cotinine levels (1.6 ng ml(-1)). Conclusions: The most high
ly exposed workers, both living and working with smokers, would potent
ially inhale over 20 cigarette equivalents (CE) per annum as based on
the upper decile levels. Housewives living with smokers could inhale u
p to 11 CE per annum as based on the upper decile levels. Locations ou
tside the workplace, including the home, contribute most to overall RS
P and ETS particle exposure. Consideration should be given to extendin
g the personal monitoring period in cities where levels appear to be q
uite low.