American Association for Aerosol Research - Abstract Submission

AAAR 36th Annual Conference
October 16 - October 20, 2017
Raleigh Convention Center
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

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Aerosol Constituents in Thirdhand Tobacco Smoke

XIAOCHEN TANG, Noelia Ramirez Gonzalez, Marion Russell, Xavier Correig, Lara Gundel, Hugo Destaillats, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

     Abstract Number: 515
     Working Group: Indoor Aerosols

Abstract
The term thirdhand smoke (THS) refers to tobacco constituents that remain, react, re-emit, and/or are resuspended (the four Rs) long after active smoking ends. Exposure to THS may elevate the harm caused by toxic tobacco-related pollutants due to its persistence, reactivity and harmful chemicals. This presentation focuses on the evolution of aerosols in secondhand smoke as it ages to thirdhand smoke. The objective of the study is to characterize the composition of semivolatile and particulate matter (PM) as the aerosol ages overnight, from secondhand smoke to THS. The approach prioritizes determination of concentrations of known tobacco-related toxicants, as well as harmful species in ambient PM. The long term goal is comparing the toxicity of THS aerosol to that of ambient PM for risk assessment.

Air monitoring began before smoking and restarted soon after generation of sidestream tobacco smoke in a large chamber at LBNL. An integrated gas and particle sampler collected sequential samples of semivolatile components on denuders and particulate matter on filters. Gas and particulate phase components of the smoke were extracted separately by pressurized liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and analyzed using several instruments: a gas chromatograph-ion trap mass spectrometer (GC-IT-MS), a two-dimensional gas chromatograph-time of flight mass spectrometer (GC×GC-TOF), and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph with triple quadrapole mass spectrometer (UHPLC/QQQ) and ifunnel technology. Total mass concentrations of PM and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were calculated, and acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acetone and acrolein, were identified as the most abundant aldehydes. Nicotine and a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in the THS particles, as well as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). Quantification and speciation of the PAHs and the TSNAs as well as profiling the GC×GC-TOF chromatograms enable a closer examination of differences in chemical properties (and possible health effects) between secondhand smoke and THS.