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Under an interagency agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather and analyze existing research related to airborne emissions from non-smoldering cigarette butts. Based on the results from the literature review, an experimental plan was developed to measure the airborne emissions f...
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... cigarette butt has three major components: 1) ash, 2) unburned tobacco and 3) filtration material ( Figure 1). These three major components are wrapped by three types of paper (wrapping paper, tipping paper, and plug wrap paper). ...
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... of the additives may remain in the cigarette butt. Similar to other original chemicals, the additive transfer behavior to the cigarette butt is dependent on the molecular weight and boiling point of the additive, the configuration of the cigarette, and other factors such as the chemical polarity of the additive (Huang et al. 2014). ...
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... the study reported by Fukuhara et al. (1985) was limited in the number of cigarette butts tested and quantification of the identified chemicals. For the three more recent studies (Huang et al. 2014, You et al. 2014, Ji et al. 2015), the types of chemicals detected are very limited and only cigarette filters or tipping papers were measured. These studies did not include the unburned tobacco or ash of cigarette butts, which likely emit different chemicals from the filters and tipping papers. ...
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... cigarette butts produced with a smoking machine leached 7.3 mg of nicotine per g of butts into 1 L of purified water, of which 50 % was released in the first 27 minutes during the experiment ( Green et al. 2014). The same study also found that the cumulative nicotine release from fifteen consecutive rainfall events with 1.4 mm of precipitation for each event was 3.8 mg of nicotine per g butt, of which 47 % was released during the first event (Green et al. 2014). A study of metals (aluminum, barium, chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, strontium, tin and zinc) showed that more than half the mass was leached within one day from the cigarette butts into acidic aqueous solution (Moerman and Potts 2011). ...
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... chemicals can be in the unburned tobacco of a cigarette butt or potentially transferred to other parts of the cigarette butt and detected in the extract of cigarette butts. Maleic hydrazide (1,2-dihydro-3,6-pyridazinedione), a plant growth regulator that inhibits the growth of suckers on tobacco plants, is often present in cigarettes, ranging from 1 μg/g cigarette to 100 μg/g cigarette (Zhang et al. 2012). found that maleic hydrazide can be transferred to the cigarette butt in the range from 1.1 % to 1.9 % of the initial mass present in the cigarette. ...
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... is the active ingredient in the insecticide used to control budworm and hornworm in tobacco plants. A study on pyrolysis of 14 C chlorantraniliprole in a cigarette showed that about 17 % of spiked 14 C chlorantraniliprole was found in extracts of cigarette butts after smoking (Gaddamidi et al. 2011). Of the spiked radio-labelled insecticide imidacloprid [1-(6-chloropyridin-3-ylmethyl)- N-nitro-imidazolidin-2-ylideneamine] in tobacco leaves, 39 % of the radioactivity was found in cigarette butts after the smoking of cigarettes made of the spiked leaves (Clark et al. 1998). ...
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... study on pyrolysis of 14 C chlorantraniliprole in a cigarette showed that about 17 % of spiked 14 C chlorantraniliprole was found in extracts of cigarette butts after smoking (Gaddamidi et al. 2011). Of the spiked radio-labelled insecticide imidacloprid [1-(6-chloropyridin-3-ylmethyl)- N-nitro-imidazolidin-2-ylideneamine] in tobacco leaves, 39 % of the radioactivity was found in cigarette butts after the smoking of cigarettes made of the spiked leaves (Clark et al. 1998). ...
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... solvent extraction of cigarette filters followed by HPLC analysis has been used to measure seven major phenolic compounds (hydroquinol, resorcinol, catechol, phenol, p- cresol, m-cresol and o-cresol) on cigarette filters in a comparative study run between six laboratories (Hu et al. 2015). Rutin, a kind of phenolic compound, was found in cigarette filters at a mass of 0.1 µg/filter to 0.3 µg/filter (Sun et al. 2012). ...
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... solvent extraction of cigarette filters followed by HPLC analysis has been used to measure seven major phenolic compounds (hydroquinol, resorcinol, catechol, phenol, p- cresol, m-cresol and o-cresol) on cigarette filters in a comparative study run between six laboratories (Hu et al. 2015). Rutin, a kind of phenolic compound, was found in cigarette filters at a mass of 0.1 µg/filter to 0.3 µg/filter (Sun et al. 2012). However, the rutin mass in the cigarette filter was two orders of magnitude lower than in the tobacco part of the cigarette (Sun et al. 2012), and rutin is likely not volatile enough (molecular mass 610.5 g mol -1 , boiling point 956 o C) to be emitted into the air at significant levels from extinguished butts. ...
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... esters were extracted with water and ethanol from 45 cigarette filters and analyzed using GC-MS (Zhang et al. 2012). Among the 17 targeted phthalate esters, only dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) were found in the cigarette filters with detection frequency for each phthalate less than 20 % (Zhang et al. 2012). ...
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... trapping techniques include sorbent tubes (for certain semi-volatiles), activated silica gel (for hydrogen cyanide and certain carbonyls) and DNPH treated filters (for certain carbonyls). Solid sorbent trapping and thermal desorption-gas chromatography has been used extensively over the last few decades to measure gas phase and particulate matter components in cigarette smoke (Higgins et al. 1984). Inorganic gases, such as carbon monoxide and nitric oxide, are sampled using gas collection bags. ...
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... smoke analytical techniques have highlighted the dynamic and reactive nature of some of the compounds in cigarette smoke (Liu et al. 2011). Boldridge and Ingebrethsen (1986) developed a model to predict the changes in cigarette smoke aerosol as it travels through a length of tobacco-filled rod. ...
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... particulate phase compounds emitted in cigarette smoke are collected with glass fiber filters (Cambridge Filter Pads) and analyzed using a range of extraction solvents and analytical techniques (Liu et al. 2011). Metals present in cigarette smoke are typically associated with particles. ...
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... nitrosamines (TSNAs) are carcinogens (Sleiman et al. 2009, Verdolotti et al. 2012), and TSNA urinary metabolites can be detected after secondhand smoke exposure ( Schick et al. 2013). TSNAs are typically associated with particles and sorbed to indoor surfaces ( Schick et al. 2014). ...
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... are typically associated with particles and sorbed to indoor surfaces ( Schick et al. 2014). TSNAs have been analyzed by trapping particles on glass fiber filters and extracting them using various methods including supercritical fluid extraction (carbon dioixide with 10 % methanol) (Brunnemann et al. 1996, Sleiman et al. 2009). The elution is then analyzed using gas chromatography-ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry. ...
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... cyanide has been measured in cigarette smoke using continuous flow analysis (Guo et al. 2015). Liu et al. (2014) noted that nitrogen oxides in cigarette smoke can dissolve in the alkaline solution used for the measurement of hydrogen cyanide in cigarette smoke, and can produce nitrates and nitrites, which further react with cyanide and result in underestimating the yield of hydrogen cyanide. ...
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... studies have been conducted on reducing compounds in cigarette smoke by making modifications to cigarette filters (Dittrich et al. 2014, Duan et al. 2014, Chen et al. 2015, Marcilla et al. 2015). The filter modification can be engineered from a chemical or mechanical perspective. ...
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... filter modification can be engineered from a chemical or mechanical perspective. For instance, a study on the effect of cellulose acetate and polypropylene filter materials on semi volatiles in smoke indicated that the polar cellulose acetate filter selectively retains polar compounds, such as phenols and furans, while the non-polar polypropylene filter shows a non- selective retention behavior (Formella et al. 1992). Grooves can be added to cigarette filters to change the inertial impaction of particles and diffusion of chemicals. ...
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... not all components of cigarette butts are readily biologically degradable or photo-oxidized. Filters typically contain plasticized cellulose acetate fibers that are slow to degrade (Puls et al. 2011). Cellulose can be degraded by organisms with cellulose enzymes, but the acetyl groups in cellulose acetate first need to be removed to a certain extent (via the action of esterases or by chemical hydrolysis) for biodegradation of the cellulose backbone to initiate. ...
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... can be degraded by organisms with cellulose enzymes, but the acetyl groups in cellulose acetate first need to be removed to a certain extent (via the action of esterases or by chemical hydrolysis) for biodegradation of the cellulose backbone to initiate. Cellulose acetate can be photochemically degraded by UV wavelengths shorter than 280 nm, but has limited photo-degradability in sunlight due to the lack of chromophores for absorbing UV light (Puls et al. 2011). Cellulose acetate cigarette butts tend to linger in the environment for extended periods of time for these reasons. ...
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... acetate cigarette butts tend to linger in the environment for extended periods of time for these reasons. After two years of outdoor decomposition, 13 C -cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analysis indicated minimal microbial degradation of cigarette filters (Bonanomi et al. 2015). This stability may be due to the nitrogen limitations in the butts. ...
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... instance, Purkis et al. (2010) demonstrated that increased puffing intensity decreased the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields due to more rapid burning of the cigarette. Another study evaluated the tar and nicotine emissions from both human smoking and machine smoking across seventeen brands of cigarettes (St Charles et al. 2010). The comparison of nicotine and tar yields between human smoking and machine smoking was non-linear and scattered. ...
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... reported to be affected by cigarette butts include birds, mosquitoes, snails, ragworms and fish. Birds use cellulose from smoked cigarette butts as lining material in nests, which helps to reduce ectoparasites in the nests, possibly because nicotine repels anthropods (Suarez-Rodriguez et al. 2013, Waters 2013). However, signs of genotoxicity in house finches have been seen to increase with the amount of butt cellulose in their nests (Suarez-Rodriguez and Garcia 2014). ...
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... signs of genotoxicity in house finches have been seen to increase with the amount of butt cellulose in their nests (Suarez-Rodriguez and Garcia 2014). In addition, mosquitoes that have hatched in water environments containing cigarette butts have been shown to have shorter life spans ( Dieng et al. 2014) and higher mortality rates during developmental stages (Dieng et al. 2013). Cigarette butt leachate in seawater has also been shown to cause mortality and behavioral modifications in snails ( Booth et al. 2015). ...
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... there can be productive uses for cigarette butts. For example, they have been used as a media for biofilm growth in anaerobic digestors (Sabzali et al. 2012). Cigarette filters have also been used to store energy by heat treating them under a nitrogen atmosphere to prepare N-doped mesoporous / microporous carbon material ( Minzae et al. 2014). ...
Citations
... The usual term for the remains of a cigarette after consumption is cigarette butt. According to Poppendieck [1], a cigarette butt is defined as the cigarette that remains after smoking at the end of the smoldering phase, i.e., when the entire cigarette butt has reached the temperature of the environment in which it is located. A cigarette butt essentially consists of the following components: Filter, cork or "stub paper", glue, cigarette paper and tobacco. ...
Cigarette butts are an increasing environmental burden worldwide, and the quantities discarded each year could continue to rise. The chemical composition of cigarette butts, which comprises about 4000 different toxic chemicals, as well as their persistence in the environment and their potential negative effects pose a major threat to the environment as they regularly enter aquatic habitats and endanger water supplies and aquatic species. One effective way to reduce pollution is to recycle cigarette butts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using extracts from cigarette butts (filter extract and extract from tobacco residues) as corrosion inhibitors for the Cu10Ni alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution with a pH of 8 at different temperatures (12 °C, 20 °C and 25 °C). The determination of the electrochemical parameters, i.e., the corrosion behavior of the Cu10Ni alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution and pH of 8, with and without modification of the alloy surface by cigarette butt extracts was tested using electrochemical measurements (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and linear and potentiodynamic polarization methods). The surface properties of the Cu10Ni alloy modified with cigarette butt extracts were evaluated by goniometry, SEM analysis and FTIR spectrophotometry. The modification of the surface of the Cu10Ni alloy with an extract of tobacco residue and a filter extract separated from cigarette butts, whose presence on the surface was confirmed by the surface analysis methods, increased the corrosion resistance of the alloy, indicating that these substances have an inhibitory effect. The better inhibition properties (at all temperatures: 12 °C, 20 °C and 25 °C) were exhibited by the filter extract, and the highest inhibition effect was exhibited by the filter extract at 12 °C.
... Cigarette contains more than 4000 toxic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, formaldehyde, etc. The cigarette butts contain pyrolysis and distillation products along with primary contaminants which eventually leach into the environment (Poppendieck et al., 2016). ...
Cigarette butt pollution is a global environmental concern with profound health and ecological ramifications. This study addresses the pressing need for coordinated efforts involving the public, manufacturers, lawmakers, and citizens to manage and mitigate the detrimental consequences of this pervasive pollutant. The research focuses on the younger generation's awareness of this issue.
The survey encompassed 454 respondents, primarily comprising individuals aged 13–19 years (60%), with a substantial representation of females (64%). Encouragingly, an overwhelming majority (97%) recognized cigarette butts as pollutants, irrespective of gender, highlighting substantial public awareness. Notably, respondents reported encountering cigarette debris in public places, often witnessing improper disposal, such as in drains, contributing to water pollution.
While respondents exhibited reasonable awareness of the hazards linked to cigarette butts, including fires and harm to wildlife, only 42% were aware of their role in ocean pollution, suggesting a knowledge gap. Notably, despite awareness, improper disposal remains a concern, indicating societal insensitivity. This underscores the need for enhanced public education.
The study concludes with recommendations, including awareness campaigns and biodegradable filters, to address cigarette butt pollution. Comprehensive interventions and legislation against careless disposal are essential. This research aims to stimulate further interdisciplinary exploration and draw policymakers' attention to reducing this potential pollutant's impact through sustainable methods.
... Tobacco products already affect the environment during the growth and cultivation of tobacco, and during the production, distribution, use, and disposal of the finished products, thereby poisoning the aquatic and terrestrial environment [2,3]. Many authors have conducted scientific research monitoring environmental ecotoxicity, tracking the release of nanoparticles from cigarette filters, the amount of carbon released, and the presence or release of certain heavy metals, such as As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Sr, Ti, Cr, Co, Al, Ba, Mn, Zn, and Fe [4][5][6][7]. In addition to significant amounts of nicotine and heavy metals, used cigarette filters contain other compounds such as hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, phenol, and pyridine, amongst others [7]. ...
... Many authors have conducted scientific research monitoring environmental ecotoxicity, tracking the release of nanoparticles from cigarette filters, the amount of carbon released, and the presence or release of certain heavy metals, such as As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Sr, Ti, Cr, Co, Al, Ba, Mn, Zn, and Fe [4][5][6][7]. In addition to significant amounts of nicotine and heavy metals, used cigarette filters contain other compounds such as hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, phenol, and pyridine, amongst others [7]. An additional problem lies in the fact that cigarettes contain polymer parts-namely the cigarette butts, made of plasticized cellulose acetate fibers-which, in the long term, degrade into microplastics. ...
Cellulose acetate is used in many applications, including for cigarette filters. Unfortunately, unlike cellulose, its (bio)degradability is under question, yet it often ends up uncontrolled in the natural environment. The main purpose of this study is to compare the effects of weathering on two types of cigarette filter (classic filters and newer filters that have more recently arrived on the market) following their use and disposal in nature. Microplastics were prepared from polymer parts of used (classic and heated tobacco products—HTP) cigarettes and artificially aged. TG/DTA, FTIR, and SEM analyses were performed both before and after the aging process. Newer tobacco products contain an additional film made of a poly(lactic acid) polymer which, like cellulose acetate, burdens the environment and poses a risk to the ecosystem. Numerous studies have been conducted on the disposal and recycling of cigarette butts and cigarette butt extracts, revealing alarming data that have also influenced the decisions of the EU, who addressed the disposal of tobacco products in the EU Directive (EU) 2019/904. Despite this, there is still no systematic analysis in the literature evaluating the impact of weathering (i.e., accelerated aging) on the degradation of cellulose acetate in classic cigarettes compared with that in newer tobacco products that have recently appeared on the market. This is of particular interest given that the latter have been promoted as being healthier and environmentally friendly. The results show that in cellulose acetate cigarette filters the particle size decreased after accelerated aging. Also, the thermal analysis revealed differences in the behavior of the aged samples, while the FTIR spectra showed no shifts in the position of the peaks. Organic substances break down under UV light, which can be seen by measuring the color change. The PLA film was found to be more stable than cellulose acetate under the influence of UV light.
... Whereas the number of chemicals in the littered CB is unknown, analytical studies have documented many hazardous constituents from diverse chemical classes in the CB. [6][7][8] Hence, CB pose a major litter and hazardous waste problem 8,9 that raises concerns about their potential environmental, public health, social and economic impacts. 5,6,[9][10][11] The US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires US federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their proposed actions. ...
Objectives: Toxic pollutants leaching from littered cigarette butts (CB) raise environmental impact concerns. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required to assess the environmental impacts of its tobacco regulatory actions per the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Methods: We determined the chemical constituents in CB leachate through analyses of 109 field-collected CB and literature compilation and characterized their ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms.
Results: One-third of the 98 identified CB leachate chemicals were very toxic and 10% were toxic to aquatic organisms due to acute and chronic toxicity. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, phthalates, nicotine and volatile organic compounds were the most hazardous CB leachate chemicals for aquatic organisms. Of the 98 CB leachate chemicals, 25 are included in FDA's list of harmful or potentially harmful constituents in tobacco products and tobacco smoke.
Conclusions: Our study quantifies CB leachate constituents, characterizes their ecological hazard and identifies chemicals of concern. Thus, it aids in evaluating the environmental impacts of tobacco products per NEPA requirements. These results provide important information for strategies to prevent and reduce CB litter (eg, awareness programs, litter laws enforcement), thereby reducing environmental hazards from CB toxicants.
... The cigarette butt is a solid waste material defined as the cigarette remaining at the conclusion of the smoldering phase following smoking act [3]. It corresponds to about 30% of the original cigarette length and consists of four major components, such as filter material, unburned tobacco, paper, and ash. ...
... It corresponds to about 30% of the original cigarette length and consists of four major components, such as filter material, unburned tobacco, paper, and ash. This solid waste is considered a hazardous and highly polluting due to the significant amount of toxic chemical compounds that are present in each component of this one [3][4][5][6][7]. In addition, the filter material is mainly produced from cellulose acetate that is slow to biodegrade and can remain in the environment for several years [8]. ...
... The elements found in the cigarette butt waste were Ca, K, Ti, Cl, Fe, Si, V, S, Mn, Zr, and Sr. This result is in accordance with the literature [3,5,29], where the elements detected in cigarette butt waste are well documented. ...
Cigarette butt is a hazardous solid waste produced in large amounts worldwide, and its improper disposal has been becoming a critical and urgent issue. This work investigates the incorporation of cigarette butt waste as an alternative raw material into an industrial roofing tile body, in replacement to natural roofing tile body by up to 5 wt.%. Roofing tile formulations containing cigarette butt waste were pressed and sintered at 1100 °C. The technical properties of the ceramic roofing tile pieces, including linear shrinkage, apparent density, weight loss, water absorption, and flexural strength, were investigated. The microstructural evolution was accompanied by scanning electron microscopy. The test results showed that cigarette butt waste could be used in eco-friendly ceramic roofing tile with good technical properties, in the range up to 5 wt.%, as a partial replacement for traditional roofing tile body, thus giving rise to a new feasible alternative for the sustainable application of cigarette butt waste.
... Odour can be a significant issue that is introduced through the incorporation of CBs into the automatic brick making process. Odour is caused by the diffusion of chemicals that are entrapped within CBs being released, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [42][43][44]. Odour can be displaced by air current or diffusion, both of which rely upon the environmental conditions and time. The smell is a biochemical reaction, where VOCs attach themselves to the olfactory receptors that are located in the nose. ...
Our cities, parks, beaches, and oceans have been contaminated for many years with millions of tonnes of unsightly and toxic cigarette butts (CBs). This study presents and discusses some of the results of an ongoing study on recycling in fired-clay bricks. Energy savings: the energy value of CBs with remnant tobacco was found to be 16.5 MJ/kg. If just 2.5% of all bricks produced annually worldwide included 1% CB content, all of the CBs currently produced could be recycled in bricks, and it is estimated that global firing energy consumption could be reduced by approximately 20 billion MJ (megajoules). This approximately equates to the power used by one million homes in Victoria, Australia, every year. Bacteriological study: CBs were investigated for the presence of ten common bacteria in two pilot studies. Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected in fresh used CB samples, and Listeria spp. were detected in old used CB samples. All of the CB samples except the dried sample had significant counts of Bacillus spp. Some species of the detected bacteria in this study are pathogenic. Further confirmation and comprehensive microbiological study are needed in this area. The contact of naphthalene balls with CBs had a significant disinfecting effect on Bacillus spp. The implementation procedure for recycling CBs in bricks, odour from Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions in CBs, sterilization methods, CB collection systems, and safety instructions were investigated, and they are discussed. Proposal: when considering the combined risks from many highly toxic chemicals and possible pathogens in cigarette butts, it is proposed that littering of this waste anywhere in cities and the environment be strictly prohibited and that offenders be heavily fined.
... Istraživanja na komarcima izleglim u vodenim sredinama koje sadrže odbačene opuške cigareta pokazala su kako komarci imaju veću stopu smrtnosti tijekom razvojne faze, ali i kraći životni vijek. 18 Također, opušci uzrokuju promjene u ponašanju i mortalitet morskih puževa. 18 ...
... 18 Također, opušci uzrokuju promjene u ponašanju i mortalitet morskih puževa. 18 ...
Duhanski dim prvi je sprječiv uzrok smrti, a pušenje je danas sve manje prihvatljivo u mnogim društvenim segmentima. Radi vlastitog opstanka na tržištu duhanska industrija posljednjih desetak godina razvija alternativne proizvode – ENDS (engl. electrical nicotine delivery system ) i HNBT (engl. heat-not-burn ), kako bi ponudila manje štetnu opciju potrošačima. Proizvođači e-cigareta pozivaju se na deklaraciju GRAS, koja se odnosi isključivo na konzumiranje ingestijom, dok je već i udisanje samog aerosola, koji nastaje kod oba navedena proizvoda, štetno. E-cigarete stvaraju aerosol zagrijavanjem e-tekućine, dok se HNBT uređaji temelje na zagrijavanju komprimiranog lišća duhana, čime nastaju štetni spojevi iako u znatno manjim koncentracijama nego kod konvencionalnih cigareta.
... The common name for the remains of a cigarette after smoking is a CB. According to Poppendieck et al. (2016), a CB can be defined as "the cigarette remaining at the conclusion of the smouldering phase following smoking. The conclusion of the smouldering phase is defined as when the entire cigarette butt reaches the ambient temperature of the environment in which it is located. ...
... The three major CB components that Poppendieck et al. (2016) listed are: 1) ash, 2) unburned tobacco and 3) filtration material (Fig. 6). ...
... The other significant problem is the over 7000 toxic chemicals (including up to 50 human carcinogens according to Hoffmann and Hoffmann (1997), toxic heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, N-nitrosamines, aromatic amines, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene and nicotine) that this waste releases into the water, the soil, and the air, and which then comes into direct contact with humans, animals and vegetation. Poppendieck et al. (2016) provided a very in-depth review of the chemicals in cigarette butt emission and extraction studies, divided by media (air, water, extract solution, cigarette filter, cigarette butt), which summarized the chemicals found in the environment are a potential threaten to human health and the environment, especially marine ecosystems. These problems, in particular associated with harmful chemicals, have been analysed by several other authors. ...
Trillions of cigarettes are smoked annually making cigarette butts one of the most common types of litter in the world. Due to the materials and toxic substances that they contain, this waste carries a very harmful risk for the environment and for living organisms (including humans). Only a few - barely sustainable - solutions have tried to tackle this waste and alternative solutions to landfilling and incineration are needed. Identifying the best methodological solutions and technologies for recycling this kind of waste in terms of results and applicability to real contexts would reduce the presence of dangerous materials in the environment and ecosystems and would promote the recovery of materials in line with the circular economy and sustainable development. The objective of this review was to collect and analyze the alternative solutions available in the literature for the recovery and recycling of the materials in cigarette butts, considering them as possible sources of secondary raw materials applicable to contexts of common interest. Several papers were selected and the results obtained by the authors are presented in terms of type of treatment process (physical, chemical or both), product derived (in solid, liquid or gaseous form) and its possible use in different sectors (e.g. construction, electronics, energy, chemistry and environmental protection). The main results, together with the advantages and disadvantages are highlighted and proposals for further research are outlined.
Cigarette butts are a common form of litter that pose significant ecological risks due to their toxic components, which can accumulate in soils, impacting human health, plant growth, and soil-dwelling organisms. This study investigated the environmental implications of “light” cigarette butts, which, like regular ones, contain harmful chemicals that render them hazardous waste. The cellulose acetate filters are notably resistant to biodegradation, allowing them to persist in the environment and leach toxins. We examined the physiological, cytotoxic, and genotoxic effects of leachates from smoked light cigarette butts and unsmoked filters on Allium cepa L. at various concentrations (6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 100%). Results showed significant inhibition of root length and root numbers, with a notable decrease in mitotic index (MI) (p < 0.05) in root tip cells exposed to leachates, indicating cytotoxic effects. Additionally, leachates induced chromosomal abnormalities in meristematic cells, including stickiness, anaphase bridges, and micronuclei, leading to DNA damage. These findings underscore the physiological, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potential of light cigarette waste, highlighting the need for further research on its ecological risks and effective management strategies to mitigate adverse environmental impacts.
