Smoking sensitization

Bascom R, Kulle T, Kagey-Sobotka A, Proud D Upper respiratory tract environmental tobacco smoke sensitivity. Am Rev Respir Dis 1991 143 1304-1311. 

Fire dampers serving certain safety-significant, smoke-sensitive areas are also closed in response to an initiation signal from the fire detection system. 

The analysis of cigarette smoke for 16 different polyaromatic hydrocarbons is described in this experiment. Separations are carried out using a polymeric bonded silica column with a mobile phase of 50% v/v water, 40% v/v acetonitrile, and 10% v/v tetrahydrofuran. A notable feature of this experiment is the evaluation of two means of detection. The ability to improve sensitivity by selecting the optimum excitation and emission wavelengths when using a fluorescence detector is demonstrated. A comparison of fluorescence detection with absorbance detection shows that better detection limits are obtained when using fluorescence. 

Chemical Analysis. The presence of siUcones in a sample can be ascertained quaUtatively by burning a small amount of the sample on the tip of a spatula. SiUcones bum with a characteristic sparkly flame and emit a white sooty smoke on combustion. A white ashen residue is often deposited as well. If this residue dissolves and becomes volatile when heated with hydrofluoric acid, it is most likely a siUceous residue (437). Quantitative measurement of total sihcon in a sample is often accompHshed indirectly, by converting the species to siUca or siUcate, followed by deterrnination of the heteropoly blue sihcomolybdate, which absorbs at 800 nm, using atomic spectroscopy or uv spectroscopy (438—443). Pyrolysis gc followed by mass spectroscopic detection of the pyrolysate is a particularly sensitive tool for identifying siUcones (442,443). This technique rehes on the pyrolytic conversion of siUcones to cycHcs, predominantly to [541-05-9] which is readily detected and quantified (eq. 37). 

The major effect of such open burning is the nuisance caused by the smoke, but health effects are noticed by sensitive individuals downwind from the bum. Table 30-18 lists the pollutant emissions from grass field burning (15). 

Impact sensitivity can be gauged by striking a few crystals of the compound on a metal last with the ball of a ball-pein hammer. Ignition, smoking, cracking or other sign of decomposition are considered hazardous. 

Double-base compns are primarily NC which is plasticized with NG. Additives are required to reduce sensitivity to expin, flash, and smoke production. Some typical compns are listed in Table 2 (Refs 27, 32a)... 

Radioisotope-labeled nitrosamines have proven valuable in development of analytical methods and for demonstrating efficiency of recovery of nitrosamines from tobacco products and smoke (37-39). The very high specific activity required for low part-per-billion determinations has discouraged most analysts from using this approach. Unless a radiochromatographic detector with adequate sensitivity is available, samples must be counted independently of the final chromatographic determination, and one of the advantages of internal standardization, correction for variation in volume injected, is lost. 

Genetic factors cannot explain the recent rapid rise in asthma prevalence. Asthma appears to require both genetic predisposition and environmental exposure. Many patients with occupational asthma develop the disease late in life upon exposure to specific allergens in the workplace. Environmental influences in utero or in infancy may contribute to the development of asthma. Maternal smoking during pregnancy or exposure to secondhand smoke after birth increases the risk of childhood asthma.3 Adult-onset asthma is not uncommon and may be related to atopy, nasal polyps, aspirin sensitivity, occupational exposure, or a recurrence of childhood asthma. 

Vachon L, Fitzerald MX, Solliday NH, Gould IA, Gaensler EA. Singledose effect of marijuana smoke bronchial dynamics and respiratory-center sensitivity in normal subjects. N Engl J Med 1973 288 985-989. 

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