PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Benjamin J Apelberg
AU  - Lisa M Hepp
AU  - Erika Avila-Tang
AU  - Lara Gundel
AU  - S Katharine Hammond
AU  - Melbourne F Hovell
AU  - Andrew Hyland
AU  - Neil E Klepeis
AU  - Camille C Madsen
AU  - Ana Navas-Acien
AU  - James Repace
AU  - Jonathan M Samet
AU  - Patrick N Breysse
TI  - Environmental monitoring of secondhand smoke exposure
AID  - 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050301
DP  - 2013 May 01
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - 147--155
VI  - 22
IP  - 3
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/22/3/147.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/22/3/147.full
SO  - Tob Control2013 May 01; 22
AB  - The complex composition of secondhand smoke (SHS) provides a range of constituents that can be measured in environmental samples (air, dust and on surfaces) and therefore used to assess non-smokers' exposure to tobacco smoke. Monitoring SHS exposure (SHSe) in indoor environments provides useful information on the extent and consequences of SHSe, implementing and evaluating tobacco control programmes and behavioural interventions, and estimating overall burden of disease caused by SHSe. The most widely used markers have been vapour-phase nicotine and respirable particulate matter (PM). Numerous other environmental analytes of SHS have been measured in the air including carbon monoxide, 3-ethenylpyridine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes and volatile organic compounds, as well as nicotine in dust and on surfaces. The measurement of nicotine in the air has the advantage of reflecting the presence of tobacco smoke. While PM measurements are not as specific, they can be taken continuously, allowing for assessment of exposure and its variation over time. In general, when nicotine and PM are measured in the same setting using a common sampling period, an increase in nicotine concentration of 1 μg/m3 corresponds to an average increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM. This topic assessment presents a comprehensive summary of SHSe monitoring approaches using environmental markers and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these methods and approaches.