Biomaterial Database

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in airliners--a health hazard evaluation. 1991

W A Crawford, and L C Holcomb

Holcomb Environmental Service, Olivet, MI.

Some passengers and airline attendants have expressed concern about exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in commercial airlines. Irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, odor, and personal sensitivities are often the bases of complaints. Previous studies demonstrate low concentrations of materials, including ETS. Attendants fly some 800 h per year, passengers much less. Based on previous studies and duration of exposures, the absorbed dose of ETS is less than a cigarette equivalent per year. Nicotine absorption of 0.2 to 0.3 mg in 8-10 h flights has been reported as unlikely to have physiologic effects. The retained 'dose' in relation to the hypotheses of risks to health based on the conflicting results of studies on 'passive smoking' are discussed. There are additional confounding factors in aircraft. We consider segregation into smoking and nonsmoking zones to be reasonably effective in meeting the preferences of passengers.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008175	Lung Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LUNG.	Cancer of Lung,Lung Cancer,Pulmonary Cancer,Pulmonary Neoplasms,Cancer of the Lung,Neoplasms, Lung,Neoplasms, Pulmonary,Cancer, Lung,Cancer, Pulmonary,Cancers, Lung,Cancers, Pulmonary,Lung Cancers,Lung Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Lung,Neoplasm, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Cancers,Pulmonary Neoplasm
D009538	Nicotine	Nicotine is highly toxic alkaloid. It is the prototypical agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors where it dramatically stimulates neurons and ultimately blocks synaptic transmission. Nicotine is also important medically because of its presence in tobacco smoke.	Nicotine Bitartrate,Nicotine Tartrate
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000337	Aerospace Medicine	That branch of medicine dealing with the studies and effects of flight through the atmosphere or in space upon the human body and with the prevention or cure of physiological or psychological malfunctions arising from these effects. (from NASA Thesaurus)	Aviation Medicine,Space Medicine,Medicine, Aerospace,Medicine, Aviation,Medicine, Space
D000401	Aircraft	A weight-carrying structure for navigation of the air that is supported either by its own buoyancy or by the dynamic action of the air against its surfaces. (Webster, 1973)	Ejection Seats,Helicopters,Airplanes,Airplane,Ejection Seat,Helicopter,Seat, Ejection,Seats, Ejection
D014028	Tobacco Smoke Pollution	Contamination of the air by tobacco smoke.	Air Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Environmental Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Passive Smoking,Smoking, Passive,Environmental Smoke Pollution, Tobacco,Environmental Tobacco Smoke Pollution,Involuntary Smoking,Second Hand Smoke,Secondhand Smoke,Secondhand Smoking,Hand Smoke, Second,Hand Smokes, Second,Involuntary Smokings,Passive Smokings,Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Pollutions, Tobacco Smoke,Second Hand Smokes,Secondhand Smokes,Secondhand Smokings,Smoke Pollution, Tobacco,Smoke Pollutions, Tobacco,Smoke, Second Hand,Smoke, Secondhand,Smokes, Second Hand,Smokes, Secondhand,Smoking, Involuntary,Smoking, Secondhand,Smokings, Involuntary,Smokings, Passive,Smokings, Secondhand,Tobacco Smoke Pollutions
D014691	Ventilation	Supplying a building or house, their rooms and corridors, with fresh air. The controlling of the environment thus may be in public or domestic sites and in medical or non-medical locales. (From Dorland, 28th ed)	Ventilations