Williams D C, Whitaker J R, Jennings W G
Environ Health Perspect. 1985 May;60:405-10. doi: 10.1289/ehp.8560405.
Humans apparently differ greatly in their sensitivity and tolerance to tobacco smoke, thereby creating conflicts in the workplace. Resolution of conflicts in a large office complex at the authors' institution required an objective measure of smoke levels. A gas chromatographic technique was devised for collection and analysis of nicotine concentrations in the building air as an indicator of tobacco smoke pollution. Segregation of smokers and nonsmokers in the large office complex still resulted in substantial exposure of the nonsmoker to tobacco smoke, although a gradient of exposure was certainly observed. Passive tobacco smoke consumption in the smoking area of the office complex was calculated to be equivalent to 1.1 cigarettes per 8-hr period, and nicotine density in this area was 1.96 microgram/m. The restriction of smoking to a foyer area outside the office complex resulted in a slow but eventual reduction in nicotine concentrations in the office complex. Observed "background" nicotine concentration levels corresponding to 4 to 7% of those encountered in smoking areas demonstrate that central air circulation systems and people movement increase the nicotine level throughout all rooms of a building, regardless of the smoking policies of an individual office complex. Recent documentation of the relationship between passive smoking and cancer, heart disease, pulmonary dysfunction, and allergic responses argues for restriction of smoking to building exteriors.
人类对烟草烟雾的敏感度和耐受性显然差异很大，从而在工作场所引发了冲突。在作者所在机构的一个大型办公区内解决冲突需要对烟雾水平进行客观测量。设计了一种气相色谱技术，用于收集和分析建筑物空气中的尼古丁浓度，以此作为烟草烟雾污染的指标。在这个大型办公区内，将吸烟者和不吸烟者分隔开后，不吸烟者仍然大量接触到烟草烟雾，尽管确实观察到了接触梯度。经计算，办公区吸烟区的被动吸烟量相当于每8小时吸1.1支香烟，该区域的尼古丁浓度为1.96微克/立方米。将吸烟限制在办公区外的一个门厅区域，使得办公区内的尼古丁浓度缓慢但最终有所降低。观察到的“背景”尼古丁浓度水平相当于吸烟区浓度的4%至7%，这表明中央空气循环系统和人员流动会使建筑物所有房间内的尼古丁水平升高，无论单个办公区的吸烟政策如何。最近关于被动吸烟与癌症、心脏病、肺功能障碍和过敏反应之间关系的文献支持将吸烟限制在建筑物外部。
