| Summary: | Introduction
To evaluate the level of tobacco smoke exposure in taxis in
Korea using tobacco specific environmental markers.
Methods
From June to September 2012, cross-sectional measurements
of air nicotine levels and dust nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone
(NNK) concentrations were conducted in 17 taxis in Goyang, Korea.
Field investigators completed an observational questionnaire on building
characteristics, smoking policies and evidence of smoking. Descriptive
statistics including geometric means (GMs) ± standard deviations were
produced for air nicotine levels and dust NNK concentrations.
Results
There was no evidence of active smoking in the 17 taxis monitored,
despite the fact that 10 drivers were current smokers. The overall GMs
of air nicotine and dust NNK concentration were 0.42 μg/m3 and 6.78
pg/mg, respectively. These levels were 3.4-fold and 2.6-fold higher in
taxis whose drivers were current smokers compared to the taxis of nonsmokers
(GM of air nicotine: 0.65 μg/m3 vs 0.19 μg/m3; GM of dust NNK:
10.07 pg/mg vs 3.85 pg/mg).
Conclusions
The present study shows that air nicotine and dust NNK were
detected in all taxis regardless of whether the taxi driver was smoking or not,
which indicates the potential for exposure to SHS or THS. It suggests that an
appreciable level of SHS and TSH exposure might occur if the environment
is not completely smoke-free and enforcement is lacking.
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