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http://dx.doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2010.36.4.288

Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Commercial Personal Computer Rooms  

Sohn, Hong-Ji (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
Oh, Ae-Ri (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
Kim, Ok-Gum (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
Lee, Ki-Young (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
Publication Information
Journal of Environmental Health Sciences / v.36, no.4, 2010 , pp. 288-293 More about this Journal
Abstract
In this study, exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) was evaluated in commercial personal computer (PC) rooms with different separation types of non-smoking areas. The particulate matter less than 2.5 ${\mu}m$ ($PM_{2.5}$) level was simultaneously measured by aerosol spectrometers in the non-smoking and smoking areas of these commercial PC rooms. Average $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations in non-smoking and smoking areas were $75\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and $136\;{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Although the $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations in non-smoking areas were significantly less than those in smoking areas (p<0.01), the levels still exceeded the US National Ambient Air Quality Standard of $35\;{\mu}g/m^3$. Average $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations in non-smoking areas were not significantly different with regard to area separation type, with $73\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the no-wall type, $83\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the wall-type, and $39\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the separated-floor-type areas (p>0.1). Separation of the non-smoking area thus did not eliminate SHS exposure in commercial PC rooms, regardless of the type of area separation. This study demonstrates that simple separation of non-smoking areas in commercial PC rooms does not protect users from SHS.
Keywords
secondhand smoke; $PM_{2.5}$; indoor smoking; non-smoking area;
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