Particulate Matter Emissions of Turkish Cigarettes in Comparison to German Brands - An Aerosol Spectrometric Study

Türkiye has one of the highest smoking prevalence rates among OECD countries, leading to quite increased exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS), which significantly contributes to indoor particulate matter (PM) that has substantial adverse effects on health. As a nation with a long-standing tradition of tobacco cultivation and consumption, Türkiye has historically struggled to implement effective tobacco control strategies.

In a closed 2.88 m³ measuring chamber, tobacco smoke from 11 Turkish cigarette brands and, for comparison, four German equal brands, and the 3R4F reference cigarette was produced. PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ were measured using laser aerosol spectroscopy. Pearson correlations assessed links between PM levels and tobacco weight, packing density, and filter and tobacco rod lengths.

Concentrations of PM varied from 1044 to 1677 μg/m³ for PM₁₀ and from 1043 to 1675 μg/m³ for PM_2.5, with most emissions originating from the detrimental PM₁ fraction, ranging from 994 to 1548 μg/m³. Five Turkish brands exhibited the highest emissions of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, four brands concerning PM₁, respectively, surpassing the levels emitted by the reference cigarette. All four German brands produced lower PM. The study couldn't report correlations between measured mean PM concentrations and measured tobacco weights, calculated filling densities, or measured filter and tobacco rod lengths.

PM measured for all tested cigarette brands was significantly high, particularly for the quite harmful PM₁ fraction. Smoking in cars, similar in size to the test chamber, puts passengers, often children, at risk. A global ban on smoking in vehicles would help protect them. While public smoking is often restricted, unregulated home smoking still exposes people to dangerous PM levels. The study findings highlight the urgent need for robust tobacco control policies in Türkiye and globally, as well as a heightened public awareness of indoor PM pollution resulting from smoking.