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Unexpected increase in indoor pollutants after the introduction of a smoke‐free policy in a correctional center
Author(s) -
He C.,
Knibbs L. D.,
Tran Q.,
Wang H.,
Laiman R.,
Wang B.,
Gu Y.,
Morawska L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12238
Subject(s) - indoor air quality , smoking ban , environmental health , secondhand smoke , smoke , indoor air , pollutant , environmental science , prison , air pollutants , toxicology , medicine , environmental engineering , air pollution , waste management , geography , chemistry , engineering , organic chemistry , archaeology , biology
Correctional centers (prisons) are one of the few non‐residential indoor environments where smoking is still permitted. However, few studies have investigated indoor air quality ( IAQ ) in these locations. We quantified the level of inmate and staff exposure to secondhand smoke, including particle number ( PN ) count, and we assessed the impact of the smoking ban on IAQ . We performed measurements of indoor and outdoor PM 2.5 and PN concentrations, personal PN exposure levels, volatile organic compounds ( VOC s), and nicotine both before and after a complete indoor smoking ban in an Australian maximum security prison. Results show that the indoor 24‐h average PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 6 (±1) μ g/m 3 to 17 (±3) μ g/m 3 pre‐ban. The post‐ban levels ranged from 7 (±2) μ g/m 3 to 71 (±43) μ g/m 3 . While PM 2.5 concentrations decreased in one unit post‐ban, they increased in the other two units. Similar post‐ban increases were also observed in levels of PN and VOC s. We describe an unexpected increase of indoor pollutants following a total indoor smoking ban in a prison that was reflected across multiple pollutants that are markers of smoking. We hypothesise that clandestine post‐ban smoking among inmates may have been the predominant cause.