Comparison of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Concentrations Generated by an Electrically Heated Cigarette Smoking System and a Conventional Cigarette

Abstract

Smoking conventional lit-end cigarettes results in exposure of nonsmokers to potentially harmful cigarette smoke constituents present in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) generated by sidestream smoke emissions and exhaled mainstream smoke. ETS constituent concentrations generated by a conventional lit-end cigarette and a newly developed electrically heated cigarette smoking system (EHCSS) that produces only mainstream smoke and no sidestream smoke emissions were investigated in simulated “office” and “hospitality” environments with different levels of baseline indoor air quality. Smoking the EHCSS (International Organisation for Standardization yields: 5 mg tar, 0.3 mg nicotine, and 0.6 mg carbon monoxide) in simulated indoor environments resulted in significant reductions in ETS constituent concentrations compared to when smoking a representative lit-end cigarette (Marlboro: 6 mg tar, 0.5 mg nicotine, and 7 mg carbon monoxide). In direct comparisons, 24 of 29 measured smoke constituents (83%) showed mean reductions of greater than 90%, and 5 smoke constituents (17%) showed mean reductions between 80% and 90%. Gas–vapor phase ETS markers (nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine) were reduced by an average of 97% (range 94–99%). Total respirable suspended particles, determined by online particle measurements and as gravimetric respirable suspended particles, were reduced by 90% (range 82–100%). The mean and standard deviation of the reduction of all constituents was 94 ± 4%, indicating that smoking the new EHCSS in simulated “office” and “hospitality” indoor environments resulted in substantial reductions of ETS constituents in indoor air.

Notes

¹In November 2003 the status of SACTob was changed and it became the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg).