Passive Monitoring Method for 3-Ethenylpyridine:  A Marker for Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Abstract

A new method was developed to assess environmental tobacco smoke in air. The method is based on passive sampling and subsequent measurement of the concentration of 3-ethenylpyridine, a vapor-phase compound specific to tobacco smoke. Air samples were collected using a 3M organic vapor monitor. Tests were carried out in a dynamic chamber to determine the sampling rate (25.7 cm3/min). 3-Ethenylpyridine was desorbed from the sampler with 1 mL of pyridine/toluene mixture. 3-Ethenylpyridine was quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The limit of detection was 0.01 microgram/sample, corresponding to a concentration of 0.27 microgram/m3 air calculated for a sampling period of 24 h. Field measurements were carried out to test the performance of the method. Mean concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 5.3 micrograms/m3 were measured for 3-ethenylpyridine in smoking environments, but no 3-ethenylpyridine was detected in nonsmoking environments. Active sampling using charcoal tubes was used as a reference method in the chamber tests and field measurements. Individual exposures can be easily and accurately measured by means of the passive sampler. Because of simple sample treatment, the method is also well-suited for large-scale monitoring of environmental tobacco smoke.

Assessment of environmental tobacco smoke exposure of Finnish restaurant workers, using 3-ethenylpyridine as marker

“…Personal air samples were collected passively on 3M organic vapour monitors (OVM type 3500, 3M OH&ESD; 3M Center, St Paul, MN, USA) which contain a single charcoal adsorbent pad (Vainiotalo et al., 2001). After sampling, the passive samplers were stored in a freezer (−20°C) and then transferred to laboratory for analysis of 3‐EP.…”

Environmental monitoring of secondhand smoke exposure

“…50 117 The surface absorption rate of 3-EP is also lower than that of nicotine. 50 Since 1998, a number of studies have used 3-EP as a SHS marker, mostly tobacco-industry funded, 41 42 46 47 118 and have shown elevated levels of 3-EP in smoking versus nonsmoking areas and high correlations with nicotine and other markers. 30 41 47 Concentrations of 3-EP in the air are typically lower than those of nicotine, resulting from a greater number of non-detectable samples.…”

Fluorescent chemosensor for pyridine based on N-doped carbon dots

“…This is the reason why the determination of pyridine is very important in environmental, food and clinic fields. Some methods have been reported in the literature for the detection and quantification of pyridine, including electrostatic precipitation [38], GC [39,40], liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) [41], and GC-MS [42,43].…”