VolatileN-Nitrosamines in Environmental Tobacco Smoke:  Sampling, Analysis, Emission Factors, and Indoor Air Exposures

Abstract

A more convenient sampling and analysis method for the volatile N-nitrosamines (VNA) in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), using commercially available Thermosorb/N cartridges, was developed and validated. Using the method, emission factors for the two major VNA in ETS were determined in a room-sized environmental chamber for six commercial cigarette brands, which together accounted for 62.5% of the total market in California in 1990. The average emission factors were 565 ± 115 and 104 ± 20 ng per cigarette for N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosopyrrolidine, respectively. The emission factors were used to estimate VNA exposures from ETS in a typical office building and an average residence. Indoor concentrations of N,N-dimethylnitrosamine from ETS for these modeled scenarios were less than 10% of the reported median outdoor concentration. This median outdoor concentration, however, includes many measurements made in source-dominated areas and may be considerably higher than one based on more representative sampling of outdoor air.

Exposure to nitrosamines in thirdhand tobacco smoke increases cancer risk in non-smokers

“…Although in general non-specific N-nitrosamines were higher in smokers' homes, there was not a clear correlation between these compounds and the concentrations of nicotine. This lack of correlation could be explained because of the high vapour pressures of some Nnitrosamines that tend to exist predominantly in the gas phase (Mahanama and Daisey, 1996). However, other sources of atmospheric N-nitrosamines can contribute to the concentrations of N-nitrosamines in settled house dust, especially in urban and high traffic areas with high levels of pollution from combustion processes and cooking.…”

“…The health risk from THS will be substantially controlled however by the prevailing levels of TSNAs. Whilst these species have been seen directly in tobacco smoke (Mahanama and Daisey, 1996), there has been no measurement of their presence in THS.…”

Tracers for assessing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke: what are they tracing?

“…The (15,19) and in smoker-generated and -simulated ETS (7,8,16,20). In addition to the influence of emission and ventilation rates on the indoor concentrations of these compounds, sorption on and desorption from indoor surfaces influence air concentrations.…”

Development of an electronic nose for fire detection

“…This is a significant result as cigarette is one main source of nuisance in fire detection. This can be explained by the presence of a large amount of ammonia and amines in cigarette smoke [18] which are normaly easily detected with polypyrrole-based sensors [19][20][21][22][23]. Especially in Fig.…”