Air Quality
In January, 2011, indoor air quality was assessed in 12 restaurants and bars in Horry, South Carolina. Four locations were smoke-free and 8 locations permitted indoor smoking.
The concentration of fine particle air pollution, PM2.5, was measured with a TSI SidePak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitor. PM2.5 is particulate matter in the air smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. Particles of this size are released in significant amounts from burning cigarettes, are easily inhaled deep into the lungs, and cause a variety of adverse health effects including cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and death.
Key findings of the study include:
- In the 8 locations with observed smoking, there were, on average, 2.6 cigarettes burning during the visits. This translates to an average of 0.82 burning cigarettes per 100 cubic meters of air in these places.
- In the 8 locations with observed indoor smoking the level of fine particle air pollution was unhealthy (PM2.5 = 109 μg/m3). This level of particle air pollution is 10 times higher than outdoor air in South Carolina and 22 times higher than the smoke-free locations.
- Employees working full time in the locations with indoor smoking are exposed to levels of air pollution 2.2 times higher than safe annual levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency due to their occupational exposure to tobacco smoke pollution.
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