Nicotine Contamination in Particulate Matter Sampling

Abstract

We have addressed potential contamination of PM(2.5) filter samples by nicotine from cigarette smoke. We collected two nicotine samples - one nicotine sampling filter was placed in-line after the collection of PM(2.5) and the other stood alone. The overall correlation between the two nicotine filter levels was 0.99. The nicotine collected on the "stand-alone" filter was slightly greater than that on the "in-line" filter (mean difference = 1.10 mu g/m(3)), but the difference was statistically significant only when PM(2.5) was low (<= 50 mu g/m(3)). It is therefore important to account for personal and secondhand smoke exposure while assessing occupational and environmental PM.