Exposure of children to second hand smoke in cars

Authors:
Hilary Wareing, Araceli Sanchez-Jimenez and Karen S Galea

Presenters:
Hilary Wareing
Co-Director, Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, Warwick, UK

Araceli Sanchez-Jimenez
Research Scientist, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK

Abstract
To investigate exposure of children to secondhand smoke (SHS) in cars under real life smoking and realistic driving conditions.

PM2.5 concentrations (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 µm) were monitored as a marker for SHS in 21 car journeys using the TSI portable photometer SidePakTM. Five participants (including one non-smoker) volunteered to drive their own cars and were asked to make no changes to their normal smoking behaviour. A child-sized doll was positioned in a child car seat on the back seat of each car. Monitoring took place under different traffic conditions and different ventilation conditions.

Geometric mean (GM) PM2.5 concentrations during smoking journeys (65 µg/m3) exceeded the proposed EU 24-hour limit value for outdoor air pollution (25 µ/m3) and were 10 times higher than those found during non-smoking journeys (6.8 µg/m3).

GM PM2.5 concentrations on journeys with low ventilation were 139 µg/m3, whereas for journeys with high ventilation the GM PM2.5 concentration was 32.5 µg/m3

Smoking in cars produce concentrations of PM2.5 that could be classified as unhealthy, even when windows are open or ventilation is on. Based on these findings measures to prevent smoking in cars, particularly when children are present, should be explored.

Source of funding: Government Office, West Midlands

Declaration of interest: none

About the presenters
Hilary Wareing is a Co-Director of the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre set up in 2004 by the HDA to support the tobacco control workforce. Since 2005, the Centre has functioned independently and currently receives support from organisations including Cancer Research UK, the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health and Pfizer Ltd. Hilary was involved in the implementation of smokefree legislation in England, and took a lead role in the legislation and implementation of smokefree regulations within the mental health setting. She is currently engaged in smokefree prisons, smoking in pregnancy, shisha smoking, smoking in cars and the harmful effects for children.

Araceli Sanchez is a Research Scientist within the Exposure Assessment Division at the Institute of Occupational Medicine and a member of the Scottish Centre for Indoor Air. Her background is in Environmental Chemistry with an extensive experience in monitoring of air pollutants. She is involved in a variety of Environmental and Occupational Health projects. Recent work involves exposure assessment of environmental tobacco smoke and biomass combustion in indoor environments, and occupational studies on exposure to oil mist and vapour, formaldehyde, mineral fibres, manganese compounds and nanoparticles. She enjoys travelling although guilt about her carbon foot print has led her to know very well the Scottish countryside over the last years.