Second-hand smoke and indoor air quality in public places in Gaza city

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 [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