Estimation of indoor air PAH concentration increases by cigarette, incense-stick, and mosquito-repellent-incense smoke

Smoke from cigarette smoking and burning of incense sticks and mosquito-repellent incense, which is particularly used in summer, are thought to be primary factors of indoor air pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Japanese houses. In this study, these respective smokes as indoor air pollutants were evaluated by quantifying their particulate matter (PM) and 7 PAHs. PM and PAHs in smoke from 5 popular brands of Japanese cigarettes were collected on the glass fiber filter by the international smoking mode. PM was quantified by weighing the filter before and after trapping them. PAHs were analyzed by HPLC after extracting the filter with ethanol/benzene (1.3, by vol.). Similarly, evaluation of smoke respectively generated by natural burning of 4 brands of incense sticks and 3 brands of mosquito-repellent incenses was also conducted. As the results of these experiments, the average concentrations of PM and benzo[a]pyrene in a 35 m(3) closed room were estimated to increase 1630 mug/m(3) and 8.2 ng/m(3), respectively, by smoking of 3 cigarettes, 1320 mug/m(3) and 4.1 ng/m(3), respectively, by burning of 2 incense sticks; and 2510 mug/m(3) and 17.3 ng/m(3), respectively, by burning of 8 cm of mosquito-repellent incense.