Personal air exposures and breath concentrations of benzene and other volatile hydrocarbons for smokers and nonsmokers.

Personal air exposures and exhaled breath concentrations of 20 volatile organic compounds were measured for 198 smokers and 322 non-smokers in 5 U.S. cities (1980-84). Smokers showed significantly increased breath concentrations of six hydrocarbons: benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m + p-xylene, and octane. Homes with smokers had higher indoor air concentrations of the same compounds than homes without smokers during fall and winter. Passive smokers exposed at work had significantly higher levels of benzene and other aromatics in their breath than unexposed non-smokers.