Bliley PM
Environmental Tobacco Smoke & Indoor Air Quality - Article Summaries from Current Developments Reports
Abstract
Contains Compilation 4, January-March 1993, Issues 38-43 of report listing and summarizing research publications on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and indoor air quality (IAQ). Includes headings: "Lung Cancer; Cardiovascular Issues; Respiratory Diseases and Conditions - Adults; Respiratory Diseases and Conditions - Children; Other Health Issues; ETS Exposure and Monitoring; Indoor Air Quality; Smoking Policies and Related Issues; Statistics and Risk Assessment; [and] Index [References cited]".
Fields
- Company
- Philip Morris Cos., Inc.
- Type
- Article
- Bibliography
- Report- Scientific
- Study
- Author (Organization)
- Shook, Hardy & Bacon
- Named Person
- Burns, D.
- Danuser
- Gori, Gio Batta, Ph.D. (Tobacco Consultant, formerly w/ NCI, Industry Expert)1993 Started career at NCI and then went to work for the industry. Believed a safer cigarette could be made, and that there were safe threshold levels for exposure to the chemicals in cigarette smoke.
- Martinez, F.
- Pirkle, J.
- Stockwell
- Named Organization
- American Medical Association (physicians group)Professional trade group representing American physicians.
- American Heart Association
- American Medical Association
- American Public Health Association
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. Federal public health agency)Estimated the costs of smoking to society in medical expenses, estimating in 1994 that about $2.06 per pack of cigarettes was spent on the associated medical care costs for smokers.
- Centers for Disease Control
- Environmental Protection Agency
- EPA
- European Respiratory Society
- Journal of the National Cancer Institute
- Kenneth G. Brown, Inc.
- National Center for Environmental Health
- National Center for Health Statistics
- New England Telephone Company
- New York Times
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Held hearings in 1994 to ban smoking in workplaces)OSHA opened hearings in September 1994 on a proposal that amounts to a virtual ban on smoking in every workplace in the nation
- Tulane University
- American Heart Association (Voluntary health organization that focuses on cardiac health)Voluntary health organization that focuses on cardiac health and stroke. AHA occasionally teams with tobacco retailers to engage in promotions/fund-raisers (see http://www.smokefree.net/doc-alert/messages/247136.html and http://www.rawbw.com/~jpk/stand/Pictures.html).
- Region
- Ireland
- Italy
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Australia
- Belgium
- China
- Finland
- Keyword
- Airplane smoking
- Ascorbic acid
- Asthma
- Atrial Septal Defect
- Birth defects
- Cardiovascular issues
- Causality
- Cholesterol
- Chronic bronchitits
- Class A carcinogen
- Compilation 4
- Cotinine
- Eczema
- Environmental tobacco smoke
- ETS
- HVAC systems
- IAQ
- Indoor air quality
- Inhalation studies
- Lung cancer
- MCSS
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome
- Otitis media
- Radon
- Respiratory diseases
- Risk Assessment
- Sick building syndrome
- SIDS
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Triglycerides
- Subject
- Adults
- Animal subjects
- Children
- Cigarettes
- clean indoor air
- Diseases
- epidemiology
- Federal level
- Government agencies
- Health effects
- Human subjects
- industry sponsored research
- International level
- nicotine
- Nonsmokers
- secondhand smoke
- Smoke
- tobacco industry structure
- Women
- Young adults
- Additives
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LAW OFFICES
SHOOK, HARDY& BACON
ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE
& INDOOR AIR QUALITY
COMPILATION 4
JANUARY-MARCH 1993 * ISSUES 38-43
SHB

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LUNG CANCER ........................................................................................
1
CARDIOVASCULAR ISSUES .......................................................................... 2
RESPIRATORY DIsEasEs AND CONDITIONS - ADULTS ................................... 4
R_~SPIKaTORY DIS~.aSES AND CONDrrIONS - CHI~.DP,~N ............................... 6
OTHER HFoU.TH ISSUES .......................................................................... 11
ETS ExposuP,£ AND MONITOPdNG ......................................................... 16
INDOOR AIR QU,~LITY ............................................................................ 20
SMOKING POLICIES AND RELATED ISSUES ................................................. 24
STATISTICS AND PvISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................... 28
INDEX
...................................................................................................
3 1
Please note: This document is nor intended to be an encyclopedic summary, of
scientific literature relating to ETS. Rather, it contains exclusively those studies
included in Reports on Recent ETS and IA Q Develo2ments.
This document has been prepared for use by Shook, Hardy & Bacon attorneys and
analysts. Please, do not distribute this document to persons outside the firm.

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JANUARY-MARCH 1993 ETS/IAQ ARTICLE SUMMAPdES
ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE & INDOOR MR QUALITY
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LUNG CANCER
[1] Adlkofer, F.X., "Lung Cancer Through P~sive
Smoking at the Workplace -- A More Theoretical
Issue," Zentralblatt fur Arbeitsrnedizin,
Arbeitsschu~z Prophylaxe und Ergonomie 42 ( 10):
400-424, 1992 [Issue 42, Item 43]
The author of this article reviews ETS composition,
ETS exposure data, and the epidemiologic literature on
ETS exposure and lung cancer. He concludes that lung
cancer risk purportedly due to ETS exposure "can neither
be entirely ruled out or proved, let alone quantified."
[The article is written in German; however, an English
abstract is provided. The article was first discussed here in
Issue 38, JanuaW 7, 1992.]
"Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) differs in
composition and biological activity, from mainstream
smoke inhaled by, the smoker to such an extent, that the
amount of toxic substances taken up by exposure to ETS
cannot be expressed in terms of cigarette equivalents. In
contrast to smoking, the uptake of gaseous phase con-
stituents is of major importance during exposure to ETS
whereas the uptake of particle phase constituents, to
which the development of lung cancer has been attrib-
uted, is very low. Moreover, ETS is inevitably mixed with
substances from other sources."
"Under experimental conditions, involving exposure to
ten to thirty times higher concentrations of tobacco
smoke than found under normal conditions, non-smokers
show slightly elevated levels of COHb in blood and of
nicotine and cotinine in body fluids as well as an elevated
excretion of benzene in exhalate and of thioethers in
urine. The two last-mentioned provide evidence for the
uptake ofelectrophilic, i.e. potentially carcinogenic,
substances from the gaseous phase. In contrast to smok-
ers, neither an increase in DNA-adducts in monocytes
nor an elevation in urinary mutageniciry could be found
in non-smokers despite extreme exposure to ETS. In non-
smokers exposed to ETS at the workplace, only nicotine
or its metabolite cotinine are likely to be found in body
fluids. All other parameters, particularly those indicating
genotoxic effects, are indistinguishable from the back-
ground levels."
"The results from thirty epidemiological studies on
exposure to ETS axe currently available. Most of these
studies show a relative risk of>l (mean value: 1.35), but
a significant increase in risk is found only in few cases,
and it has rarely been possible to demonstrate a dose-
response relationship. Any elevated risk is most probably
due to methodological errors of which misclassifying
smokers as non-smokers and disregarding confounding
factors are the most significant. The present analysis leads
us to conclude that a lung cancer risk due to ETS can
neither be entirely ruled out nor proved, let alone
quantified. If the risk really exists, it must be extremely,
low. Therefore, ifETS does not constitute a major lung
cancer risk, the working population would not benefit
from confining the reduction of toxic substances to
tobacco smoke by bans on smoking as toxic substances
form other sources present at the workpIace might be
ignored by this procedure."
[2] Letters to the Editor Regarding Bums, D.M.,
"Environmental Tobacco Smoke: The Price of
Scientific Cerrainvy," Journal of the National
Cancer Institute 84: 1387-1388, 1992 [Issue 40,
Item 18]
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently
published two letters concerning this editorial, published
at the same time as the Stock-well, et al., case-control
study on ETS exposure and lung cancer in nonsmoking
women. As discussed in Issue 31 of this Report, Septem-
ber 25, 1992, the author, David M. Burns, called for the
development of public policies based on his belief that a
causal relationship between ETS exposure and lung
cancer has been "clearly established." Dr. Burns is an
antismoking activist and a member of the EPA's Science
Advisory Board committee that reviewed the Draft Risk
Assessments on ETS. The first letter in the current
correspondence is from Gio B. Gori, and is followed by' a
reply from Burns. The letters appear in Journal of the
National Cancer Institute 85(1): 66-67, 1993.
Gori comments that Burns' original article suggests that
"either the editorialist [Burns] did not read the report
carefully or his perception of certainty is a curious one."
Gori writes that Stocle~vell, et al., referred to suggestion,
rather than certainty, in their article. He also points out
"incongruities" of ETS epidemiologic studies. In particu-
SHB

ET$/IAQ ARTJCLE 5U.MMAR/E5
ISSUES 38-43
lar, Gori states that the odds ratios reported by StockwelI,
et al., "vary from apparent protection to apparent risk,"
and that the reported results on adenocarcinoma "conflict
with the much quoted and larger study ofFontham et al."
Gori continues with a reference to potential confounding
variables, biases, uncertainties in exposure estimates, and
other problems, which he chzracterizes as "weaknesses of
epidemiologic data." Gori suggests that epidemiology
should not be "interpreted in an equivocal dialectic
context," calling the certainty referred to by Burns "an
assertive policy proposition."
In his response, Burns describes Gori's letter as "a fine
example of the 'reasoning' used by the tobacco industry to
delay and confuse the development of scientific cer-
tainty." Burns writes that neither the Stockwell, et al.,
study nor his own editorial implied that the Stoclcwell, et
ad., stud)' provided sufficient data to reach scientific
certainty. He calls for using "multiple lines of evidence
and all of the data available" in judging causality. Burns
also accuses Gori of an "ad hominem attack suggesting
that, because I [Burns] agree with the conclusion of every
comprehensive scientific review of these data that has
been conducted in the last 7 years, my position must be
based on advocacy and cannot be scientific."
[3] Heath, C.W., "Commentar~ Ens4ronmental
Tobacco Smoke and Lung Cancer," The Lancet
341: 526, 1993 [Issue 43, Item 36]
This brief article focuses on the recently-released EPA
Pdsk Assessment on ETS. The author contrasts it with the
other reviews on the topic that appeared in 1986, saying
that EPA "strongly reaffirmed" their conclusions, and
provided a "firm regulatory basis for increased societal
action to eliminate ETS."
"Since 1986, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
(ETS) (passive smoking) has been widely regarded in
scientific circles as a cause of human lung cancer. In that
year, the US National Research Council, the Surgeon
General of the US Public Health Service, and the Interna-
tional Agency for Research on Cancer issued expert
reviews of the topic. Each concluded that lung cancer
resulted from ETS exposure."
"The same conclusions have now been strongly reaf-
firmed in an updated review issued in December, 1992,
by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Significantly, however, what the three earlier reports
lacked, the EPA pronouncement now provides -- a firm
regulatory basis for increased societal action to eliminate
ETS from public buildings and places of business.
Although the EPA itself has no direct regulator)" authority
over indoor air conditions, its action classifying ETS as a
class A carcinogen (i.e., a "known" human carcinogen) is
widely expected to spur the US Occupational Safety and
Health Administration to review and revise its rules
governing smoking in workplaces. The EPA report is also
expected to encourage businesses and governments to
move voluntarily toward community-wide smoke-free
conditions, in view of the greater vulnerability to litiga-
tion arising from ETS exposures."
"The evidence that ETS causes lung cancer rests solidly
on a combination of epidemiologicai and toxicological
data, all to be viewed against a background of
longstanding knowledge about cancer occurrence in
active cigarette smokers. The EPA report reviews this total
fabric of evidence in considerable detail but gives special
emphasis to the epidemiological findings .... Thirty
epidemiological studies from eight countries are reviewed.
• .. All thirty examined lung cancer risk in non-smoking
spouses of smokers. Although some also attempted to
measure risk in terms of ETS exposure in children and in
workers, judging such exposure is less certain than
between spouses and hence findings are more difficult to
interpret."
"The EPA report weights these various kinds of evidence
in relation to the recommendations of Bradford Hill
regarding the nature of information upon which causal
associations can be identified .... In each instance, the
collective findings here strongly support a cause-effect
association. How quickly and completely will the report's
findings be translated in effective community action?"
CARDI OVASC~ ISSF~
[1] Leone, A., ~The Heart: A Target Organ for
Cigarette Smoking," Journal of Smoking-Related
Disorders3(3): 197-201, 1992 [Issue 41, Item 54]
The author of this article reports briefly on several
studies on "the role of smoking on the cardiovascular
system." He includes a study of cardiac performance
during exercise, in which men were exposed to a "smok-
ing environment." The author claims that the study
subjects "showed impaired cardiac performance" when
exposed to smoke.
"The purpose of this report is to discuss briefly our
previous studies and to prove that cigarette smoking
damages the heart."
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ETS/IAQ ARTICLE SUMMARIES
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"We studied 19 non-smoking male volunteers. These
consisted of nine healthy subjects and 10 patients with
previous myocardial infarction. The volunteers under-
went exercise stress testing ~vice; once in a smoke-free
environment and once in a smoking environment (carbon
monoxide concentration 30-35 ppm)."
"In each studied subject we measured the peak of
exercise (Watts), time for recovery to pre-exercise heart
rate (rain) and plasma (%) and expired carbon monoxide
concentrations (ppm) .... Each subject acted as his own
control. No healthy volunteer developed chest pain
during stress testing, but we stopped the exercise stress
testing of four volunteers with a previous myocardial
infarction in the smoking environment because of
warning ventricular arrhythmias."
"In summary, we reached the following conclusion.
Acute exposure to passive smoking impaired cardiac
performance of both survivors of infarction and healthy
volunteers. Survivors showed a significant reduction of
the peak of exercise, prolonged time to recovery to pre-
exercise plasma carbon monoxide concentration and
ventricular arrhythmias in a smoking environment.
Healthy people showed prolonged time to recovery to
pre-exercise heart rate in the same environment. There-
fore, both groups showed impaired cardiac performance
in a smoking environment, although with different results."
"Cigarette smoking has to be considered a potential
hazard of daily life. Smoke inhalation, either active (such
as smoking a cigarette) or passive (such as breathing
indoor smoke), can cause a severe impairment of cardiac
function. The results we discuss in the present overview
justify such a statement."
[2] Tribble, D.L., and For,mann, S.P., "Reduced
Plasma Ascorbic Acid Concentrations in Women
Regularly Exposed to Environmental Tobacco
Smoke (ETS)," Circulation 86(4): Supplement,
1992 [Issue 40, Item 19]
The authors of this abstract propose that a reduction in
levels of the vitamin ascorbic acid may be related to the
pathogenesis of heart disease. Based on measurements of
plasma ascorbic acid concentrations and dietary ascorbic
acid intake in nonsmoking women, the authors report
that "passive smokers" had lower plasma ascorbic acid
levels, which they suggest "may contribute to increased
heart disease risk associated with ETS exposure."
"Oxidative processes have been implicated in the
pathogenesis of heart disease, offering a potential explana-
tion for the high risk attributable to smoking. Cigarette
smoke contains numerous oxidants, and smokers exhibit
reduced circulating concentrations of the antioxidant
vitamin ascorbic acid (AA)... We measured plasma AA
concentrations and dietary AA intake in nonsmoking
women exposed to >_20 hr/wk ETS, i.e., passive smokers
(PS), as compared with nonsmokers with >_2 hrs ETS
exposure/wk (NS) and active smokers (AS), to assess
whether PS also may exhibit suboptimal AA nutriture...
• Both PS and AS exhibited reduced plasma AA relative to
NS. Reduced plasma AA in PS may be partially due to
reduced dietary AA. These results suggest that suboptimal
AA nutriture may contribute to increased heart disease
risk associated with ETS exposure."
[3] Whig, J., Singh, C.B., Soni, G.L., and Bansal,
A.K., "Serum Lipids & Lipoprotein Profiles of
Cigarette Smokers & Passive Smokers," Indian
Journal of Medical Research 96(B): 282-287, 1992
[Issue 39, Item 27]
This study,, conducted in an Indian population, reports
nonsignificant elevations in cholesterol and triglycerides
in men reporting ETS exposure. The authors claim that
the high density lipoprotein cholesterol/low density
lipoprotein ratio was lowered in "passive smokers," and
further claim that this suggests an increased risk of
coronary heart disease in exposed persons.
EXCERPTS:
"Very little attention has been paid to the effect of
passive smoking on serum lipids and lipoproteins. In view
of the fact that [a] large population in India is exposed to
passive smoking, the present study has been undertaken
to know the effect of passive smoking on serum lipids and
lipoproteins compared to that in chronic smokers and
control subjects."
"Serum lipids and lipoproteins of 50 active and passive
smokers were compared with levels in 25 control subjects.
Active smoking resulted in an increase in total cholesterol
(To and triglycerides (Tr) as compared to control group.
The passive smokers also showed relatively higher levels
but the effect was not significant. Active smoking raised
the low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL~) and very,
low density lipoprotein cholesterol (V-LDL~) levels
whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL~)
content was lowered, thus resulting in decreased ratios of
HDL¢/T¢ and HDL/LDLc. The passive smokers also
showed slightly higher levels ofLDLc and VLDLc but
lower levels of HDL~ and a lower HDL¢/LDL¢ ratio."
"Since the ratio of HLDc/LDL is also significantly'
lower amongst passive smokers, ~t indicates that not only
active smokers but also subjects who are in contact with
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ETS/IAQ ARTICLE SUMMARIES
ISSUES 38-43
active smokers are at a relatively higher risk of developing
atherosclerosis. The lower degree of risk amongst passive
smokers compared ro that amongst active smokers could
be due to the filterarion [sic] of smoke in the lungs of the
smokers. Some of the components like nicotine and tar
are deposited in the lungs of active smokers and therefore
the passive smokers are exposed to a lower density of
harmful components .... IT]he levels of serum lipids and
lipoproteins were altered in passive smokers in such a
manner that it may have a deleterious effect on [the]
cardiovascular system."
"The passive smokers also show relatively less altered
lipid and lipoproteins, in a trend similar to that of
smokers. The alteration in the individual value oflipids
and lipoproreins is not significant in [the] case of passive
smokers but the results are significant only in case of
ratios ofHDLc/Tc and HDL~/LDLc As decrease in this
ratio is responsible for the development of atherosclerosis,
the results indicate that even the passive smokers are at a
relatively higher risk of developing corona.D' heart disease."
[4] Zhu, B.-Q., Sun, Y.-P., Sievers, R.E., Isenberg,
W.M., Glantz, S.A., and Parmley, W.~L, "Passive
Smoking Increases Experimental Atherosclerosis in
Cholesterol-fed Rabbits," Journal of the American
College of Cardiology 21(1): 225-232, 1993 [ Issue
39, Item 12]
A paper based on this study, which was presented at the
American Heart Association Meeting in November 1992,
has now been published. It is essentially unchanged from
the manuscript previously excerpted. See Compilation 3, p. 10.
RESPIRATORY D~s~sss aND CONDITIONS
ADULTS
[1] Danuser, B., Weber, A., Hartmann, A.L., and
Krueger, H., "Effects of Bronchoprovocation
Challenge Test With Cigarette Sidestream Smoke
on Sensitive and Healthy Adults," Chest 103: 353-
358, 1993 [Issue 42, Item 44]
Swiss researchers report in this paper on a "cigarette
bronchoprovocation challenge test," in which sidestream
smoke (as a surrogate for ETS) was administered to 20
persons via mouthpiece. Lung function parameters
reportedly did not change after smoke exposure in ten
healthy subjects. However, the authors report statistically
significant decreases in lung function parameters for ten
subjects classified as hyperreactive.
"The cardinal feature of asthma is a greater than normal
variability in airway caliber occurring in responses to a
variety of endogenous and exogenous stimuli. Even if
results of lung function tests are normal, bronchial
hyperreactivity can be detected by bronchoprovocation
challenge testing with inhaled agents such as histamine or
methacholine."
"For the present study, persons with airways hyperreac-
rive to methacholine were selected as sensitive. The
cigarette bronchoprovocation challenge test with
sidestream smoke is meant to allow comparison of the
possible response to sidestream smoke with the response
to methacholine in normal active and hyperreactive
subjects."
"Two groups of individuals were tested: ten persons
with hyperreactive airways and ten healthy individuals,
matched for age and sex .... All participants were
nonsmokers verified by carbox-yhemoglobin measure-
ments."
"The challenge test was conducted by delivering
increasing concentrations ofsidesrream smoke character-
ized by the smoke-induced CO concentration. Subjects
were told that they would breathe either smoke-polluted
or normal air; no information about the increase of dose
was given."
"The short-time inhalation, even of high concentrations
ofsidestream smoke, was well tolerated by both groups.
Symptoms were in the mean weak even at the highest
concentrations. Three of the ten hyperreactive persons
and four of the ten healthy persons never indicated any
symptoms."
"The increase in symptoms score with increasing
sidestream smoke concentrations was due to a combina-
tion of progressively larger numbers of subjects experienc-
ing symptoms with increasing exposure, and from the
same subjects experiencing progressively more severe
symptoms. With the exception of the symptom 'sore/dr),
throat,' the hyperreactive group indicated more com-
plaints than the healthy group."
"Our subjects inhaled the sidestream smoke with a
noseclip and the test room never got polluted, so that eyes
and nose as primary detectors of smoke did not come into
contact with the polluted air. Subjective airway symptoms
were weak. No distinction between the different concen-
trations of the sidestream smoke was possible and
suggestibility can therefore be considered as minimal.
Furthermore, contraw to room exposure, where especially
the concentration of the particles fluctuates, the applied
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dose was well defined. On the other hand, the exposure of
2 rain via mouthpiece does not copy ETS exposure in
real-life situation [sic]."
"With healthy persons, the inhalation ofsidestream
smoke had no effect on FEV~, FVC, and MEF50."
"Our data demonstrate that even a 2-rain exposure to
the lowest concentration ofsidestream smoke induced a
significant decrease in the measured lung function
parameters of hyperreactive persons, which is greater than
the expected variabiIiry during this length of time. The
lowest sidestream smoke exposure of 2 ppm CO is a very
realistic concentration."
"The precise mechanism of ETS-induced impairment in
lung function is unknown. On account of the short
exposure of time of 2 rain, we propose a response of
irritant receptors."
"Nonspecific bronchial reactivity to methacholine and
pretest lung function parameters do not sufficiently'
predict and explain the reaction to sidestream smoke in
all individuals, although methacholine does in most
hyperreacrive people. The mechanisms underlying airflow
obstruction caused by cigarette sidestream smoke need
further research."
[2] Lehrer, S.B., "Pulmonary Effects of Environmental
Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Asthmatic Subjects,"
CZRR Cur'rents 2(2): 1, 4, 1992 [Issue 40, Item
This article reports on a test chamber developed by a
research team at Tulane University, in which asthmatics
claiming smoke-sensitivity were exposed to sidestream
smoke as a surrogate for ETS. The author reports that
only 10 percent (17 out of 163 subjects) "reacted" to side-
stream smoke at high smoke levels, corresponding to ETS
concentrations that "would be extreme and rarely
encountered" in actual environments.
"Our studies have focused on the incidence and charac-
terization of asthmatic responses to environmental
tobacco smoke."
"[A] dynamic test chamber was developed in which
sidestream smoke (SS) test atmospheres, used as a
surrogate for ETS, can be precisely controlled for any
desired duration by varying the number of machine-
smoked cigarettes and adjusting the air flow.... The
exposure environment within the chamber is composed of
the diluted SS from machine-smoked 1R4F research
cigarettes and is characterized and monitored by concen-
tration measurements of nicotine, respirable suspended
particles, and carbon monoxide."
"In our study, 163 asthmatics claiming smoke-sensitiv-
ity were challenged with SS-ETS for up to 240 minutes.
Total suspended particle (TSP) levels ranged 750-2000
ug/m~ and nicotine ranged 250-450 ug/m3. Twenty-eight
(28)/163 asthmatics (17%) demonstrated a significant
decline in lung function (decrease in FEV~ greater than or
equal to 20%) after 90 to 240 minutes of exposure. While
intermittent exposure to this ETS level is possible in an
environment such as a very smoky bar, ETS particle
concentrations greater than 300 ug/m3 would be extreme
and rarely encountered. A typical indoor level is about
I20 ug/m3 or less in smoking environments."
"all reactors were sham (SS-ETS absent) challenged in
the chamber. Eleven (11)/28 (39%) reactors had a
positive sham challenge, were non-specific reactors, and
were removed from the group. Thus 17/163 (10%)
asthmatics reacted to SS-ETS."
"Seven (7) of the 17 SS-ETS reactors were selected for
dose-response challenge with decreasing levels of SS-ETS
up to 360 minutes at 4 week intervals. No subjects
reacted to any SS-ETS levels before 90 minutes, and 3/7
did not react to levels less than the highest .... No
participants demonstrated a significant drop in peak flow
rate when monitored overnight."
"Our studies showed that about 10% of asthmatics
claiming to be smoke sensitive actually demonstrated
objective changes in their pulmonary function from high
level SS-ETS exposure. These responses do not appear to
be related to IgE antibody reactivity to tobacco allergens.
Almost 40% of all reactors also exhibited a significant
drop in their FEV~ in the absence of tobacco smoke
which suggests that the nature of some forms of asthma
are unstable and that controls are needed when evaluating
cigarette smoke-induced responses. Future studies are
directed at assessing the role of mediators in ETS-induced
asthmatic and extrapulmonary responses, identification of
the ETS components that might provoke asthmatic
responses, and determining the effects of ETS on asth-
matic responses to known environmental allergens."
[3] Shephard, R.J., "Environmental Tobacco Smoke
and Asthma," Chest 103(2): 330-331, 1993 [Issue
42, Item 45]
This editorial comments on the Danuser, et al., stud),.
The author praises their technique for smoke exposure,
but calls for additional experiments to generate fuaxher data. ~'~
"There can be little argument that the accumulation of ".~
stale tobacco smoke is unpleasant and annoying to both
the nonsmoker and the ex-smoker, and this will undoubt-
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ETS/IAQ ARTICLE SUMMARIES
ISSUES 38-43
edIy remain the main reason why a smokefree environ-
ment is guaranteed in public places."
"There has been considerable discussion as to whether
exposure to tobacco smoke provokes asthma .... One
major source of difficulty in conducting more conclusive
experiments is that the odor of tobacco smoke is well
known, so that exposure can create psychological reac-
tions... The technique adopted by Danuser and
associates and described in this issue of Chest is attractive
in this regard: the major eye and nasal symptoms that could
precipitate psychological reactions are avoided, and nicely
graded doses of smoke can be administered to the air~uys."
"The choice of 'realistic' carbon monoxide readings is
also very debatable, with complications from urban
background levels of carbon monoxide. The subjects
studied by Danuser et al had an average blood
carboxyhemoglobin concentration of 1.5 percent, which
suggests either that some of the subjects were unadmitted
smokers or that there was a substantial carbon monoxide
exposure in the center of Zurich .... [I]n crowded and
poorly ventilated areas, such as bars, readings of 30 ppm
have been observed. The range of 0 to 32 ppm of smoke-
related carbon monoxide adopted in the experiments of
Danuser and associates thus seems quite appropriate."
"Unfortunately, the key question of the relative contri-
butions of a biological and a psychological response is not
completely answered by the experiments that they report,
for while the symptoms show' a rather nice dose-response
relationship, the physiologic reactions do not. Although
they postulate a threshold, it is difficult to envisage a
biological mechanism that would yield this type of
response. Is the smoke so irritating that it provokes a
secretion of fluid, which dilutes the initial stimulus? If so,
why do the symptom scores remain dose-related? Plainly,
more data are required: a larger sample of subjects, varying
durations of exposure, and possibly measurements of small-
airway function in addition to standard spirometry."
t~ESPIRATORY Disuses AND CONDITIONS
CHILDREN
[1] C~ale, R., Natall, G., Colantonlo, D., and
Pasqualerti, P., "Circadian Rhythm of Peak
Expiratory Flow in Children Passively Exposed amd
Not Exposed to Cigarette Smoke," Thorax 47:
801-803, 1992 [Issue 39, Item 30]
This study measured circadian rhythm, i.e., an approxi-
mately 24-hour cycle, in pulmonary function measure-
ments in Italian school children. The authors claim that
children exposed to cigarette smoke reportedly exhibited
changes in the circadian rhythm, which they interpret as
an early indication of airway obstruction.
EXCERPTS:
"This study aimed to investigate whether children
exposed to passive smoking, assessed by questionnaire and
urinary cotinine values, show" greater variation in the
circadian rhythm of the peak expiratory flow (PEF) than
children not exposed to cigarette smoke."
"Questionnaires completed by 60 primaD' schoolchil-
dren aged 10-11 years were analyzed and 20 children (12
boys and 8 girls) exposed to passive smoking were
identified. These children were matched for sex and age
with 20 respondents who had not been exposed to
cigarette smoke."
"The mean value of urinary cotinine concentration was
1.85 umoi/1 in unexposed children and 3.44 (0.52) umol/
1 in exposed subjects."
"Both groups showed diurnal fluctuations in PEF values
with a peak in the afternoon. PEF showed a significant
circadian rhythm for both the unexposed and the exposed
children."
"The circadian rhythm of PEF in the exposed children
differed from that of unexposed children... Since any
change in the normal circadian pat-tern of any variable can
seen [sic] as abnormal and as a step towards clinically
symptomatic disease, the increased PEF rhythm ampli-
tude may be a measure of early airway obstruction in
response to passive smoking."
[2] Dagli, E., Cakan, N., and Ataman, A., "Urinary
Cotinine Levels in Prima_,-y School Children:
Evidence of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco
Smoke," European Respiratory Journal 5: Supple-
ment, 1992 [Issue 40, Item 37]
These Turkish researchers use questionnaire data and
urinary cotinine measurements to examine ETS exposure
in school children. They conclude that "the dose of nicotine
received by Istanbul school children from ETS was esti-
mated to be equivalent to 1 to 5 cigarettes per day."
"Smoking prevalence and passive exposure to environ-
mental tobacco smoke (ETS) are estimated to be very"
high in Turkey. Using a questionnaire, we found out that
75% of the 513 primary school children were exposed to
ETS at their homes. We correlated this finding with . . .
urinary cotinine measurements... Mean urinary cotinine
concentration of 275 prima)' school children of non-
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