142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

300809
An Assessment of Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure Using Personal Air Sampling and Exhaled Breath Analysis

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 12:30 PM - 12:31 PM

Daniel Harrington, MSPH, ScD, CIH , Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Louisiana State University/ Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA
Thomas Carton, PhD , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Atif Ghaffar , Louisiana Public Health Institute
Lindsey Rudov, MPH(c) , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Megan Tulikangas, MPP , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Lauren Czaplicki, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Kris Gerig, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute
Background: 
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a very well-documented human health hazard, and it is associated with a wide range of cardiovascular and respiratory health effects. Health effects associated with long-term exposure to SHS have been extensively studied, but the health effects from short-term SHS exposure are not as well understood. This presentation will describe the exposure assessment approach we used in a study measuring the effect of short-term SHS exposure on pulmonary function.

Methods:
We recruited a cohort of healthy, non-smoking adults (n=96, age=21-34) to spend three hours in a local pub where smoking is permitted.  SHS is comprised of a complex mixture of over 7,000 different compounds which makes it difficult to measure. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a very sensitive indicator of SHS concentration, and variability in personal PM2.5 levels can be measured with direct-reading monitoring equipment. We measured personal PM2.5 and carbon monoxide concentration levels using direct-reading monitors for each study participant. We also measured changes in exhaled breath carbon monoxide levels to further characterize personal SHS exposure.

Results and Conclusions:
We will present the results of our exposure assessment and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our approach.

Learning Areas:

Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Describe and evaluate exposure assessment methods for secondhand tobacco smoke. Analyze the relationship between personal and ambient air pollution levels in a smoking environment.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Control, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Certified Industrial Hygienist with over twenty years of experience measuring air pollution levels. I have been conducting research on secondhand tobacco smoke for over five years, and I have been either the principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple studies in this area.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.