Open AccessIrritating effects on man of air pollution due to cigarette smoke.
Author(s) -
A. Wéber,
C. Jermini,
E. Grandjean
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.66.7.672
Subject(s) - eye irritation , smoke , irritation , environmental health , threshold limit value , annoyance , toxicology , formaldehyde , medicine , indoor air quality , air pollution , nose , cigarette smoke , environmental science , environmental engineering , waste management , audiology , chemistry , surgery , engineering , biology , organic chemistry , immunology , loudness
Sixty subjects were exposed to cigaretts smoke produced by a smoking machine in a climatic chamber. The irritating effects were recorded by questionnaire and related to concentrations of CO, formaldehyde, and acroleine. The eyes are most sensitive to these irritants, followed by the nose. Annoyance about air quality, and the desire to open the window or to leave the room proved to be other useful measures of sensitivity. With smoke produced by 10 cigarettes/30 m3 acroleine reaches 0.1 ppm, the threshold limit value for industries; simultaneously, CO and formaldehyde exceed the clean air standards for outdoor air. At this exposure level. 9 per cent of the subjects show a strong or very strong eye irritation, while 78 per cent "wish to leave the room." The most important of the measured irritants seems to be acroleine.