Release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from cigarette butts into the aquatic environment: Levels and ecotoxicity
Hossein Arfaeinia,
Mohammad Reza Masjedi,
Rasoul Asgariyan,
Farshid Soleimani,
Vali Alipour,
Sara Dadipoor,
Reza Saeedi,
Anis Jahantigh,
Ammar Maryamabadi
Affiliations
Hossein Arfaeinia
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Mohammad Reza Masjedi
Tobacco Control Research Center (TCRC), Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, Tehran, Iran
Rasoul Asgariyan
Department of Environmental, Esfahan Steel Company, Esfahan, 8477153111, Iran
Farshid Soleimani
Tobacco and Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; Corresponding author. Tobacco and Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Vali Alipour
Tobacco and Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Sara Dadipoor
Tobacco and Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Reza Saeedi
Department of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Anis Jahantigh
Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Ammar Maryamabadi
R &D Department, Shakheh Zeytoon Lian Co., Bushehr, Iran
Discarded cigarette waste may leach toxic elements and can contaminate different environments. In this study, the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in cigarette butts (CBs) leachates were determined, and the release rate of these pollutants from three CBs types such as smoked CBs with and without tobacco (SCBs and SFs) and unsmoked filters (USFs) were examined. The mean concentration levels of PCBs compounds were <LOD-1.36, <LOD-1.02 and <LOD-0.86 μg/L in SCBs, SFs, and USFs leachates, respectively. The concentrations of OCPs in SCBs and SFs leachates were <LOD-0.14 and <LOD-0.10 μg/L, respectively. The toxic equivalent (TEQ) of the dioxin-like PCBs from the CBs leachate samples ranged from 2 × 10−6-1 × 10−4 ng/L. Notwithstanding the insignificant TEQ values in CBs leachates, continuous discharge and the toxicities of the PCBs in the aquatic environments could have harmfully impacts on the water boddies and/or human health. Globally, considering all the littered CBs and their chemical contents, further efforts are needed to investigate address, and mitigate this type of contamination.
