Even when extinguished, cigarettes continue to pollute the air

A recent study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States reveals that even when unlit, cigarettes continue to emit harmful compounds into the air. To achieve this result, the researchers developed a device to reproduce the behavior of real smokers with the aim of measuring the emissions of cigarettes once cold.[1]. The machine was programmed to draw six puffs of smoke each time, before crushing the cigarette. The extinguished cigarette butts were then enclosed in a stainless steel room in order to study more precisely the reaction of toxic components according to the temperature or humidity of the room. It turns out that the cigarette continues to produce harmful substances in the 24 hours following its extinction. Thus, a used cigarette butt would produce up to 14% of nicotine unlike a cigarette in active combustion. Despite its small size, the cigarette butt remains an ecological disaster. It is estimated that a cigarette butt thrown into the water and sanitation network can contaminate up to 500 liters of water. In addition, a cigarette filter would contain nearly 7000 chemical substances (nicotine, phenol, heavy metals, etc.)[2] as well as plastic, cellulose acetate[3]. Cigarette butts represent 30 to 40 % of the items collected during coastal or city clean-ups. While these compounds are present in tiny quantities in a cigarette butt, the millions of cigarettes consumed and thrown away every year pose a significant health and environmental risk. ©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1]https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2020/01/butt-emissions-study-finds-even-extinguished-cigarettes-give-toxins [2]https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/determinants-de-sante/tabac/documents/rapport-synthese/exposition-a-la-fumee-de-tabac-sur-le-lieu-de-travail-et-au-domicile-entre-2014-et-2018-resultats-du-barometre-de-sante-publique-france [3] https://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/Fiche%20pollution%20m%C3%A9gots_VDEF.pdf || ©DNF For a Zero Tobacco world

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