Biomarkers of Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Waterpipe Tobacco Venue Employees in Istanbul, Moscow, and Cairo.

Background: Most smoke-free legislation to reduce secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure exempts waterpipe (hookah) smoking venues. Few studies have examined SHS exposure in waterpipe venues and their employees.

Methods: We surveyed 276 employees of 46 waterpipe tobacco venues in Istanbul, Moscow, and Cairo.

Secondhand smoke in waterpipe tobacco venues in Istanbul, Moscow, and Cairo.

Objective: The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking has risen in recent decades. Controlled studies suggest that waterpipe secondhand smoke (SHS) contains similar or greater quantities of toxicants than cigarette SHS, which causes significant morbidity and mortality. Few studies have examined SHS from waterpipe tobacco in real-world settings.

A multi-day environmental study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in a high-risk region for esophageal cancer in China.

Linzhou, China has one of the highest rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the world. Exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), may have a role in this increased risk. To better understand PAH sources, we measured PAHs in the air and food of 20 non-smokers over multiple days and compared the concentrations with a urinary PAH biomarker, 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG).

Comparison of standard methods for assessing dietary intake of benzo[a]pyrene.

Background: Inconsistent presence and strength of associations between dietary benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exposure and cancers may be due to differences in exposure assessment methods. Thus, we determined correlations of usual meat and BaP intake among three methods: food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), diet diaries, and a biomarker.

Methods: Thirty-six nonsmokers were recruited in Baltimore, MD during 2004-2005.