ETS-RSP Particulate Marker Factors: Variation in Published Factors and Application to ETS Data from Two Types of Indoor Environments

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is an indoor air pollutant that causes adverse health effects for exposed non-smokers. To measure the ETS concentration particulate tobacco smoke components are identified and are referred to as ETS markers named ultraviolet particulate matter (UVPM), fluorescent particulate matter and solanesol particulate matter. To determine the contribution of ETS to indoor air pollution empirically derived ETS marker factors are applied. The factors represent a ratio of ETS marker to total respirable suspended particles (RSP) collected under controlled experimental conditions. The published ETS marker factors for UK cigarettes varied and when applied to smoking and non-smoking household and public house data produced significantly different data sets (p < 0.05). Non-tobacco sources for UVPM compounds contributed to and overestimated the ETS-UVPM concentration with respect to RSP. This occurred when the published UVPM factors were applied and the predominant source of UVPM was not tobacco. The ETS factors produced acceptable results with respect to total RSP collected when tobacco was the predominant source of RSP, as seen by data collected in public houses.