Impacts of texture properties and airborne particles on accumulation of tobacco-derived chemicals in fabrics.

Abstract

Vapor-phase constituents of tobacco smoke are known to accumulate on clothing surfaces; however, the significance of texture properties, such as specific surface area, porosity, and surface roughness, and airborne particles to the sorption capacity of fabrics has not been adequately addressed. In the present study, cotton (t-shirt) and polyester (pajama and lab coat) fabrics were exposed to cigarette smoke containing gaseous and particulate tobacco-derived compounds (e.g., N-nitrosamines). Fabric-air distribution coefficients and particle deposition fluxes were then determined to evaluate the accumulation of the target analytes. Appreciable amounts of N'-nitrosoanabasine (NAB) and 4'-(nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were detected in all three fabric types although particle-bound NAB and NNK were found only in cigarette smoke. In addition, the root mean square surface roughness heights for three types of clothes were within the same order of magnitude. As such, the deposition fluxes of particle-bound N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and NNK to fabric surface may have contributed to 6-20% and 56-100% of total NNN and NNK in fabrics, respectively, estimated based on the assumed deposition velocity of 0.65 m h-1. Apparently, the sorption capacity of fabrics can be greatly influenced by particle-bound compounds on clothing surfaces, resulting in either over- or under-estimation of fabric-air distribution/partitioning coefficients.