AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Assessing Exposures to PM2.5 and UFP from Secondhand Electronic Cigarette Emissions in Southern California Vape Shops
Charlene Nguyen, Chanbopha (Amy) Sen, YIFANG ZHU, University of California, Los Angeles
Abstract Number: 358 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Vape shops, stores that exclusively sell electronic cigarette (e-cig) products, have become more widespread with the increasing popularity of e-cigs. Recent regulatory actions have been taken to control e-cigs, including the local bans of e-cig use in public spaces and the FDA’s regulation of e-cigs as tobacco products. However, there are currently no regulations addressing the indoor air quality of vape shops, where employees and customers vape at their leisure. This study aimed to assess exposures to particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter 2.5 and UFP concentrations were conducted inside and outside the shops over multiple business days. Real-time CO2, relative humidity, and temperature as well as room air exchange rate (AER) were also measured inside. Human activities including opening and closing doors/windows, ventilation types, and puffing frequency were recorded. This study found that secondhand e-cig emissions from vaping were the major source of particulate matter inside vape shops. During vaping activity, maximum indoor PM2.5 and UFP concentrations ranged from 2.6x102 to 3.2x104 µg/m3 and 2.5x105 to 1.7x107 #/cm3 among the shops, respectively. The indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) ratio for particle concentrations reached as high as 1500 and 21 for PM2.5 and UFP, respectively. Puffing frequency, or the number of e-cig puffs by all occupants of the shop per unit time, and room AER were significant predictors of elevated PM2.5 and UFP concentrations inside the vape shops. This study demonstrates that exposures to fine and ultrafine particles emitted from e-cig use are high inside vape shops. Increasing AER and installing proper ventilation may help to reduce indoor exposures to secondhand e-cig aerosols.