López M J, Nebot M
Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Spain.
Gac Sanit. 2003;17 Suppl 3:15-22.
Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and different types of health risk. Despite this evidence, measurement of ETS was highly inaccurate until a few years ago. The objective of this study was to review different studies using nicotine as an ETS airborne marker.
We reviewed the various methods used in ETS measurement, especially the use of nicotine as an airborne marker. Nicotine was compared with other markers, and data from different studies measuring airborne nicotine concentration in public places and workplaces were collected.
Nicotine has all the desirable characteristics of an ETS marker. Several studies using nicotine as an airborne marker of ETS reported a wide range of values. In cafeterias and restaurants the concentration varied from 2.3 to 6.8 microg/m3. In workplaces without smoking regulations the concentration ranged from 3.4 to 14 microg/m3, whereas in places with smoking bans the concentration ranged from 0.09 to 0.7 microg/m3. Pubs and nightclubs had the highest concentrations, with values higher than 65 microg/m3.
The use of nicotine as an airborne marker provides an objective measurement of ETS exposure. The values obtained in studies using this marker show that in places with smoking restrictions or bans, ETS exposure is much lower than in places without smoking restrictions.
多项研究已证实环境烟草烟雾（ETS）与不同类型的健康风险之间的关系。尽管有这些证据，但直到几年前，ETS的测量仍极不准确。本研究的目的是回顾使用尼古丁作为ETS空气传播标志物的不同研究。
我们回顾了ETS测量中使用的各种方法，尤其是使用尼古丁作为空气传播标志物的方法。将尼古丁与其他标志物进行了比较，并收集了不同研究中测量公共场所和工作场所空气中尼古丁浓度的数据。
尼古丁具备作为ETS标志物的所有理想特性。多项使用尼古丁作为ETS空气传播标志物的研究报告了广泛的数值范围。在自助餐厅和餐馆中，浓度在2.3至6.8微克/立方米之间变化。在没有吸烟规定的工作场所，浓度范围为3.4至14微克/立方米，而在有吸烟禁令的场所，浓度范围为0.09至0.7微克/立方米。酒吧和夜总会的浓度最高，值高于65微克/立方米。
使用尼古丁作为空气传播标志物可对ETS暴露进行客观测量。使用该标志物的研究中获得的值表明，在有吸烟限制或禁令的场所，ETS暴露远低于没有吸烟限制的场所。
