Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.6
Aldehydes in Cigarette Smoke
Emission (mg/pk)
Aldehyde
Mainstream
Sidestream
ETS
a
Formaldehyde
3.4
14.5
1.3
Acetaldehyde
12.5
84.7
3.2
Acrolein
1.5
25.2
0.6
Environmental tobacco smoke integrated over 2 hours.
a
Source:
Environmental Toxicants: Human
Exposures and Their Health Effects
From Leikauf, G.D., in
, Lippmann, M., Ed., Van Nos-
trand Reinhold (John Wiley & Sons), New York, 1992, chap. 10.
With permission.
between ETS, HCHO, and UF-based HCHO, the effect of tobacco smoke on
indoor concentrations would be small (because of the modulating effect of
UF-based sources).
4.
Health effects
The effects of
HCHO on human health have been extensively investigated in human expo-
sure studies and field and epidemiological studies of workplace and resi-
dential buildings. Major health concerns have included mucous membrane
irritation, neurological-type symptoms, potential sensitization, and upper
respiratory system cancers.
The ability of HCHO to cause irritation or inflammatory-type symptoms
and symptoms of the central nervous system (e.g., headache, fatigue) is
known from controlled animal studies, reports of occupational exposures,
field investigations, and epidemiological studies of humans exposed to
HCHO in residential environments.
Controlled human exposure studies at concentrations in the range of
those reported in residential environments (
a.
Mucous membrane irritation and neurotoxic effects.
1.0 ppmv) have been
shown to cause significant eye and nose irritation among healthy volunteers
in 90-minute exposures compared to unexposed controls. In 5-hour human
exposure studies, significant decreases in nasal mucus flow were observed
at 0.25 ppmv in healthy volunteers, with slight to significant discomfort and
eye and throat dryness increasing in frequency with HCHO concentrations
above 0.25 ppmv.
Elevated prevalence rates of mucous membrane symptoms, central ner-
vous system symptoms (headache, fatigue, sleeplessness), as well as nausea,
diarrhea, unnatural thirst, and menstrual irregularities have been reported
in field investigations of HCHO exposures in residential and nonindustrial
workplaces. The author observed significant dose-response relationships
between HCHO levels and symptom severity for 14 symptoms/health prob-
lems including eye irritation, dry/sore throat, runny nose, bloody nose, sinus
irritation, sinus infection, cough, headache, fatigue, depression, difficulty
sleeping, nausea, diarrhea, chest and abdominal pain, and rashes for a range
≥
0.03
≤
