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ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE OF YOUNG CHILDREN AS ASSESSED USING A PASSIVE DIFFUSION DEVICE FOR NICOTINE
Citation:
Williams, R., A. Collier, AND J. Lewtas. ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE OF YOUNG CHILDREN AS ASSESSED USING A PASSIVE DIFFUSION DEVICE FOR NICOTINE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-95/298, 1993.
Description:
Indoor air nicotine concentrations in the homes of young children (ages 1-3) were monitored for 48 hours as part of a study to assess uptake, metabolism and urinary excretion of nicotine and its metabolites including cotinine. otinine, a metabolite of nicotine, has been used as a biological marker for personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). he evaluation of the utility of cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to ETS depends upon an accurate measure of the nicotine exposure. ersonal exposure to nicotine was monitored using a passive diffusion monitor worn by the children. dentical type stationary monitors were also placed in each home to measure indoor nicotine for comparison to personal monitors. otal of 42 children and 34 homes were successfully monitored for nicotine concentrations. ersonal exposure ranged up to 47 ug/m3 with an arithmetic mean of 6.43 ug/m3 (geometric mean=2.52 ug/m3). n this population, 68.3% of the children were exposed to less than 5.0 ug/m3 in the home. igher exposures (5-25 ug/m3) were observed in 24.3% of the children. ndoor exposure in the home, measured by the stationary monitors, ranged up to 94 ug/m3 with an arithmetic mean of 8.43 ug/m3 (geometric mean=2.24 ug/m3).