Impact of Various Air Exchange Rates on the Levels of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Components

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), derived primarily from side-stream cigarette smoke between puffs, is a major contributor to indoor air pollution wherever smoking occurs. In the frame of activities to evaluate human exposure to ETS components in indoor environments, a series of tests were undertaken to investigate the impact of various ventilation rates on the air concentration of ETS-components. The tests were carried out at the European Commission- Joint Research Centre¿s INDOORTRON facility, a 30 m3 walk-in type environmental chamber. Preliminary evidence indicates that changes in ventilation rates simulating conditions expected in many residential and commercial environments during smoking do not have a significant influence on the air concentration levels of ETS constituents, e.g. CO, NOx, aromatic compounds, nicotine. This suggests that efforts to reduce ETS originated indoor air pollution through higher ventilation rates in buildings, including residential areas and hospitality venues, would not lead to a meaningful improvement of indoor air quality. Moreover, the results show that ¿wind tunnel¿-like rates or other high rates of dilution ventilation would be expected to be required to achieve pollutant levels close to ambient air limit values.

KOTZIAS Dimitrios;  GEISS Otmar;  LEVA Paolo;  BELLINTANI Arturo;  ARVANITIS Athanasios;  KEPHALOPOULOS Stylianos; 

2008-04-21

PARLAR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (P S P)

JRC44883

1018-4619,   

http://www.psp-parlar.de/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC44883,