Indoor by product levels of tobacco smoke: a critical review of the literature.

The levels reported in diverse publications of by products of cigarette combustion (acrolein, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nicotine, nitrogen oxides, nitrosamines, particulates, and others for which scattered information is available - HCN, ketones, nitriles) are summarized in tabular form. Summaries also include information on test conditions such as ventilation, size and types of premises, monitoring conditions, number of smokers, and rate of smoking. Current methodology emerging from a review of a wide variety of measuring practices is critically evaluated and discussed. Major findings are reviewed. In conclusion, the presently available data are useful for gaining a reasonably accurate perspective of the amount of combustion products contributed by cigarette smoking under different conditions, even though serious methodological problems persist.