Tobacco Documents Online

Benzo(ghi)perylene and benzo(a)pyrene/show~'~he highest concentrations of all 7/PAH in the air and in the dust collected from kitchens and living rooms (Tab. 2 and 3). The' ratio of the PAHs ~hlghly constant for all homes regardless of emission source or situations, for which air dust collection took place (Tab. 5). Frying, boiling, and steaming of f~d~ncreas~'PAH levels in air and dust of kitchens ~ab. 6 to 8). Water heaters operated in the kitchen for up to 90 mini24 h are claimed to almost half the levels of PAH in dust (Tab.8), and kitchen window ventilating fans ~_~e claimed to reduce PAH levels both in air and dust (Tab. 9). Burning of religious incense increase,,,d" PAH levels in dust and air of living rooms and kitchens (Tab.8 and 12). "Talking points": • The claimed decrease in air or dust PAH with cigarette smoking may not be significant. The claimed decrease in kitchens refers to 4 out of 33 homes, where smoking occured. In 3 cases 1 to 5 cigarettes, and in 1 case 6 cigarettes were reported to be smoked within the 24-hour sample collection period. The decrease in air concentration was approx. 15 %, that in dust concentration up to 40%. These decreases are statistically insignificant. The claimed tendency that with more ETS, PAH levels rise per cubic meter air but decrease per mg dust refer to 8 living rooms, where smoking occured. The concentration of the total PAH in air is reported to be increased up to 30% (claimed to be stat. not significant) but that of airborne dust decreased a,~Eprox, by 10% with smoking of 3 to 11 cigarettes during 24 hours (Tab. 1 ~).~,These data require verification with a higher number of samples. Repetitive determinations in the same homes would have improved the significance of the data. The "compensation behaviour hypothesis" does not explain the observed increase and decrease of PAH air and dust concetrations reported for rooms with smoking. Behavioural responses such as increasing ventilation to perceived air pollution (e.g. claimed distinct smell of ETS) are proposed by the authors to explain the reported decrease of airborne PAH levels (p.414/415). It is difficult to imagine, however, how such stimulated increased ventilation could result in an increase of air PAH concentration with simultaneous decrease of dust PAH concentration as claimed for the living rooms with smoking. The absence of results of determinations of the airborne particle concentration (e.g."RSP-conc~"),and of outdoor PAH levels are limitations of the study. RSP data would strengthen the analytical results and facilitate the interpretation of air vs. dust PAH concentrations.