ABSTRACT
Second-hand smoke is a major cause of preventable disease and death in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To assess how second-hand smoke impacts air quality, respirable suspended particles (PM2.5) which are emitted during cigarette and waterpipe smoking, were measured inside and outside of 18 smoking and 5 nonsmoking public venues in Gaza city. Median PM2.5 level inside the smoking venues was 117 microg/m3, which exceeds the WHO guidelines for daily PM2.5 exposure (25 microg/m3) by more than 4-fold. The median level inside the smoking venues (117 microg/m3) was significantly higher than outside the venues (43 microg/m3), and significantly higher than the median level inside non-smoking venues (40 microg/m3). By contrast particulate levels outside non-smoking venues (35 microg/m3) did not differ from the corresponding levels inside (40 microg/m3). To protect employees and the public from second-hand smoke exposure, policies prohibiting sinoking in public niaces are needed in Gaza city.
Subject(s)
Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis , Particulate Matter/analysis , Public Facilities/statistics & numerical data , Tobacco Smoke Pollution/analysis , Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Middle East , Particulate Matter/adverse effects , Public Facilities/standards , Tobacco Smoke Pollution/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Second-hand smoke is a major cause of preventable disease and death in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To assess how second-hand smoke impacts air quality, respirable suspended particles [PM[2.5]], which are emitted during cigarette and waterpipe smoking, were measured inside and outside of 18 smoking and 5 nonsmoking public venues in Gaza city. Median PM[2.5] level inside the smoking venues was 117 microg/m[3], which exceeds the WHO guidelines for daily PM[2.5] exposure [25 microg/m[3]] by more than 4-fold. The median level inside the smoking venues [117 microg/m[3]] was significantly higher than outside the venues [43 microg/m[3]], and significantly higher than the median level inside non-smoking venues [40 microg/m[3]]. By contrast, particulate levels outside non-smoking venues [35 microg/m[3]] did not differ from the corresponding levels inside [40 microg/m[3]]. To protect employees and the public from second-hand smoke exposure, policies prohibiting smoking in public places are needed in Gaza city
