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Published on: February 21, 2011
Measuring tobacco smoke exposure among smoking and nonsmoking bar and restaurant workers
Chizimuzo T C Okoli1, Lynne A Hall, Mary Kay Rayens
1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia. chizimuzo.okoli@nursing.ubc.ca
Purpose:
This study assesses the validity of hair nicotine as a biomarker for secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Although most biomarkers of tobacco-smoke exposure have a relatively short half-life, hair nicotine can measure several months of cumulative SHS exposure.
Design:
A cross-sectional study of hospitality-industry workers.
Method:
Hair samples were obtained from 207 bar and restaurant workers and analyzed by the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) method. Self-reported tobacco use and sources of SHS exposure were assessed.
Findings:
Higher hair-nicotine levels were associated with more cigarettes smoked per day among smokers and a greater number of SHS-exposure sources among nonsmokers. Number of SHS exposure sources, gender, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and type of establishment predicted hair-nicotine levels.
Discussion:
Hair nicotine is a valid measure of SHS exposure. It may be used as an alternative biomarker to measure longer term SHS exposure.
