Gaceta Sanitaria (Dec 2004)
Medición de la exposición al humo ambiental de tabaco en centros de enseñanza, centros sanitarios, medios de transporte y lugares de ocio Measurement of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in education centers, health centers, transport facilities and leisure places
Abstract
Objetivos: Describir los niveles de exposición al humo ambiental de tabaco (HAT) a los que está expuesta la población en diferentes espacios públicos en Barcelona. Material y método: La nicotina en fase vapor se midió mediante monitores pasivos que contenían un filtro de 37 mm de diámetro tratado con bisulfato sódico en su interior. Se tomaron muestras en colegios de primaria y secundaria, hospitales, centros de atención primaria, estaciones de tren, transportes metropolitanos, universidades, aeropuerto, restaurantes y discotecas. Resultados: Los centros de enseñanza (primaria y secundaria) y los centros sanitarios presentan los niveles de exposición al HAT más bajos y en todos ellos la concentración media es Objectives: To describe levels of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in various public places in Barcelona (Spain). Material and method: Vapor-phase nicotine was measured with passive samplers containing a sodium bisulfate treated filter with a 37 mm diameter. The places sampled were primary and secondary schools, hospitals, primary care centers, train stations, subways, universities, airports, restaurants and discotheques. Results: Primary and secondary schools and health centers had the lowest levels of ETS exposure, with mean concentrations of less than 1 μg/m3. The mean values found in transport and universities were 2.16 μg/m3 in train stations, 3.30 μg/m3 in subways, 4.30 μg/m3 in airports and 4.97 μg/m3 in universities. The highest concentrations were found in restaurants and discotheques, with mean values of 12.36 μg/m3 in restaurants and 130.65 μg/m3 in discotheques. All samples taken from primary and secondary schools, airports, subways, restaurants and discotheques contained ETS. Likewise, 90% of the samples taken from train stations and 96% of those from universities contained ETS. Seventy-nine percent of the samples from hospitals and 58% of those from primary care centers contained ETS. Conclusions: The results confirm that passive smoking is an important public health problem in Spain and that greater efforts are needed to enforce smoke-free policies in public spaces and workplaces.
