TOBACCO SMOKE POLLUTION ON OUTDOOR PATIOS –

AN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUTION OF THE SMOKE-FREE ONTARIO ACT

Ryan David Kennedy*, MAES, Department of Psychology, University of WaterlooGeoffrey T. Fong, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of WaterlooAndrew Hyland, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New YorkMark J. Travers, MS, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New YorkSeema Mutti, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo

BACKGROUNDPATIOS:

From the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion

“Smoking is prohibited if an outdoor patio has a roof, even where the roof partially covers the patio.

A roof includes an awning, tarp, canvas sheeting or other permanent or temporary covering that is capable of excluding rain or impeding airflow, or both.

A stand-alone umbrella covering a single table would not be considered a roof. However, if umbrellas are used in such a way so as to serve as a roof, an inspector may view it as such and act accordingly.”

http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/health/smoke_free/fact_sheets/employersandemployees.asp

RESEARCH QUESTIONSQuantify how different patio structures and their

configurations may affect TSP concentrations on a patio

Quantify the movement of TSP to adjacent indoor areas

SURVEY METHODSPatio Location secured

20 feet to edge of patio

seated X

seated X

10.5 feet to centre of door

X seated

inside area inside area

14 f

eet

20 Feet

6.5 feet to edge of door

Table B -- 1RA

bannister is 3.5 feet high

Table D -- 1 RA

Table A - 1RA

TABLE E -- SidePak1 and Qtrak -- centre of patio (10 feet from edge, 7 feet from

centre of door)

X seated

SET UP of PATIO doors Closed Scenario

Table C -- 1RA

Table F -- Inside -- 7 feet in from door -- SidePak 2

8 feet door area -- 4 feet of open area

PATIO ENVIRONMENT

SURVEY METHODSScenarios Studied:

Open AirPatio Umbrellas – not touchingPatio Umbrellas – touching (not compliant SFOA)Awnings – no tables underneathAwnings – tables underneath (not compliant SFOA)

SURVEY METHODSProtocol followed

Baseline readings (background PM2.5)BURN 1 – 20 minutesDispersionBURN 2 – 20 minutesDispersion

8 cigarettes burning during burns – all extinguished at 20 minute mark

SMOKE REGIME AND SAMPLING METHODS

Cigarettes were smoked using a hand-held 60mL syringe with a Cress mouthpiece attached via PVC tubing.

8 cigarettes smoked by 4 research assistantsHealth Canada testing protocol followed

55mL puffs drawn over 2 seconds every 30 seconds

PM2.5 READINGS and Air Quality Ontario Ministry of Environment

Air Quality Index (AQI)

PM 2.5

Readings (g/m3)

AQI value

AQI Description

Health Information

1-11 1-15 Very Good Sensitive populations may want to exercise caution. 12-22 16-31 Good Sensitive populations may want to exercise caution. 23-45 32-49 Moderate People with respiratory disease at some risk.

46-89 50-99 Poor People with respiratory disease should limit prolonged exertion; general population at some risk.

>90 >=100 Very Poor

Serious respiratory effects even during light physical activity; people with heart disease, the elderly and children at high risk; increased risk for general population.

RESULTS – Open Air

All baseline PM2.5 readings were good or very good.

In each scenario studied, PM2.5 levels were very good or good at baseline (using the Ontario Air Quality Index).

During 12 open air tests (no structures) average readings were 41 g/m3 above background during the periods where cigarettes were smoked

One test produced levels 59 g/m3 above background

RESULTS – Open Air

DateTrial

Average PM2.5

Attributed to TSP12-Jul 1 3312-Jul 2 3513-Jul 3 3519-Jul 4 5920-Jul 5 258-Aug 6 289-Aug 7 41

10-Aug 8 4913-Aug 9 5714-Aug 10 5215-Aug 11 4616-Aug 12 33

mean 41max 59min 25

ONTARIO OPEN AIR

ONTARIO OPEN AIR SCENARIO -- July 13 2007

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

3:15

:00 P

M

3:22

:29 P

M

3:29

:59 P

M

3:37

:29 P

M

3:44

:59 P

M

3:52

:29 P

M

3:59

:59 P

M

4:07

:29 P

M

4:14

:59 P

M

4:22

:29 P

M

4:29

:59 P

M

time

Aer

oso

ls -

- P

M2.

5 (m

icro

gra

ms/

m^

3)

RESULTS – Umbrellas

All baseline PM2.5 readings were good or very good.

Scenarios with patio umbrellas produced the highest PM2.5 levels, with readings in the poor range (82 g/m3 above background).

Monday July 23, 2007 TEST 1 TEST 2Ontario Quebec

NOT TOUCHING TOUCHINGBASELINE 7 7

BURN 1 79 87DISPERSION 8 7

BURN 2 82 76DISPERSION 8 8

UMBRELLA STUDIES

RESULTS – UmbrellasTo touch or not to touch….

RESULTS – Umbrellas

Monday July 23, 2007 TEST 3 TEST 3QUEBEC QUEBEC

Touching OUTSIDE Touching INDOORSBASELINE 7 7

BURN 1 75 26DISPERSION 9 17

BURN 2 58 44DISPERSION 11 19

UMBRELLA STUDIES

RESULTS - Umbrellas

All baseline PM2.5 readings were good or very good.

Scenarios with umbrellas

ONTARIO UMBRELLAS (not touching) Scenario July 20 2007

0100200300400500600700800900

1000

TIME

14:2

2:29

14:2

9:59

14:3

7:29

14:4

4:59

14:5

2:29

14:5

9:59

15:0

7:29

15:1

4:59

15:2

2:29

15:2

9:59

15:3

7:29

15:4

4:59

time

PM

2.5

(mic

rog

ram

s/m

^3)

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

RESULTS - Awnings

All baseline PM2.5 readings were good or very good.

4 scenarios to test this:

Baseline Burn (Ontario Open Air)Awning (Smokers not under)Awning (Smokers not under) – Doors OpenAwning (Smokers under) – Doors Open

RESULTS – AwningsOUTSIDE Impact

AWNING SCENARIOS

Ontario Open AirAwning (compliant)

5262

PM2.5 Attributable to TSP in

micrograms/m3

Outside

RESULTS – AwningsOUTSIDE and INSIDE Impact

AWNING SCENARIOSOUTSIDE

Awning Compliant Doors Open 71Awning Non-Compliant Doors Open 63

1735

PM2.5 Attributable to TSP in

micrograms/m3

INSIDE

KEY FINDINGSOpen Air Scenarios can still experience elevated

levels of TSPThe presence of umbrellas and awnings on a patio

increase the TSPThere is negligible difference in levels observed

when umbrellas are touching or not touching.There is negligible difference in levels observed

when smokers sit under or not under an awning

KEY FINDINGSTSP drifts from patios to indoor areas if a doorway is

openTSP in indoor areas do not dissipate as quickly as

outdoor areas

THANK YOUFunding for this research project provided by OTRU CIHR Doctoral Research Grant

Thank you to the Research Assistants who helped with this – Kathleen, Amelia, Pavani, Krystal, Zac, Erica, Seema, & Simon

Thank you to the team of speech pathologists from Freeport Hospital and the Stroke Prevention Clinic who helped get me ready for this!

THANK YOU

This research is funded through the strategic initiative Advancing the Science to Reduce Tobacco Abuse and Nicotine Addiction. This initiative is a partnership of government and non-profit organizations under the coordination of the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (CTCRI). www.ctcri.ca