Summary
Air pollution due to tobacco smoke and its effects on employees were investigated in 44 workrooms. For this purpose, the concentrations of CO, NO, NO2, nicotine, and particulate matter were determined, and 472 employees were interviewed about annoyance and irritations.
The mean values of the concentrations of the components due to tobacco smoke are: CO = 1.1 ppm, NO = 32 ppb, NO2 = 24 ppb, nicotine = 0.9 μg/m3, particulate matter = 133 μg/m3. One third of the measured CO values exceeds a critical threshold of 2 ppm CO due to tobacco smoke.
One quarter of the persons reports eye irritations at work. One third of the employees qualifies the air with regard to smoke at the workplace as bad. Forty percent of the interviewed persons are disturbed by smoke. The majority of the employees is in favor of a separation into smoking and nonsmoking rooms. This seems to be the most appropriate preventive measure for the protection of nonsmokers at work.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abelin T, Wüthrich P (1976) Repräsentativerhebung über die Rauchgewohnheiten in der deutsch-, französisch- und romanischsprachigen Schweiz 1975. Soz Präventivmed 21:17–23
Aronow WS (1978) Effect on passive smoking on angina pectoris. N Engl J Med 299:21–24
Barad CB (1979) Smoking on the job. The controversy heats up. Occup Health Saf 48:21–24
Cameron P (1972) Children's reactions to secondhand tobacco smoke. J Appl Psychol 56:171–173
Cameron P, Robertson D (1973) Effect of home environment tobacco smoke on family health. J Appl Psychol 57:142–147
Colley JR, Holland WW, Corkhill RT (1974) Influence of passive smoking and parental phlegm on pneumonia and bronchitis in early childhood. Lancet II:1031–1034
Fischer T, Weber A, Grandjean E (1978) Luftverunreinigung durch Tabakrauch in Gaststätten. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 41:267–280
Klosterkötter W, Gono E (1976) Zum Problem des Passivrauchens. Zentralbl Bakteriol [Orig B] 162:51–69
Leeder SR, Corkhill R, Irwig LM, Holland WW (1976) Influence of family factors on asthma, wheezing, incidence of lower respiratory illness, and ventilatory function in children. Br J Prev Soc Med 30:203–224
O'Connell EJ, Logan CB (1974) Parental smoking in childhood asthma. Ann Allergy 32:142–145
Said G, Zalokar J, Lellouch J, Patois J (1977) Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in children and parental smoking. Lancet 1:797
Schmidt F (1979) Zwangsrauchen und Krebs. Med Klin 74:1964–1973
Shephard RJ, Labarre R (1976) Attitudes to smoking and cigarette smoke. The Toronto Survey, University of Toronto
Speer F (1968) Tobacco and the nonsmoker. Arch Environ Health 16:443–446
Szadkowski D, Harke H-P, Angerer J (1976) Kohlenmonoxidbelastung durch Passivrauchen in Büroräumen. Inn Med 3:310–313
Valentin H, Bost H-P, Wawra E (1978) Das Passivrauchen am Arbeitsplatz- eine Gesundheitsschadigung? Zentralbl Bakteriol [Orig B] 167:405–434
Weber A, Fischer T, Grandjean E (1976) Objektive und subjektive physiologische Wirkungen des Passivrauchens. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 37:277–288
Weber A, Fischer T, Grandjean E (1979) Passive smoking in experimental and field conditions. Environ Res 20:205–216
White JR, Froeb H (1980) Small-airways dysfunction in nonsmokers chronically exposed to tobacco smoke. N Engl J Med 302:720–723
Zussmann B (1974) Tobacco sensitivity in the allergic population. J Asthma Res 11:159–167
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grant no. 3.912-0.78
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Weber, A., Fischer, T. Passive smoking at work. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 47, 209–221 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381679
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381679