Abstract
Recent monographs from IARC, NAS-NRC, and USPHS Surgeon General include a common list of 27 particulates and 23 vapors allegedly responsible for health effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). More than half of listed constituents have workplace standards. It takes from less than one to eight cigarettes for total sidestream emission (in an enclosed unventilated space of 10 m3) to exceed threshold limit values (TLV) for nicotine, acrolein, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and ammonia. For each of 21 constituents, 50 to 29,600 cigarettes would have to be consumed in 10 m3 to exceed respective TLVs. In all, 11 ETS constituents are suspected tumorigens based entirely on oral, dermal, subcutaneous, and/or tracheal injection in experimental animals. There are six ETS constituents that are in vitro mutagens and seven constituents with no known mutagenicity. The sidestream emission for each constituent is so low that any health consequence is inconceivable. In summary, there are no published animal experiments or human studies indicating that repeated exposure to any one of 50 ETS selected constituents can cause pulmonary tumors.
Published Version
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