Toxicity of cigarette butts, and their chemical components, to marine and freshwater fish
Open accessAbstract
Background: Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, as an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are thrown away every year worldwide. Many chemical products are used during the course of growing tobacco and manufacturing cigarettes, the residues of which may be found in cigarettes prepared for consumption. Additionally, over 4000 chemicals may also be introduced to the environment via cigarette particulate matter (tar) and mainstream smoke. Methods: Using US Environmental Protection Agency standard acute fish bioassays, cigarette butt-derived leachate was analysed for aquatic toxicity. Survival was the single endpoint and data were analysed using Comprehensive Environmental Toxicity Information System to identify the LC50 of cigarette butt leachate to fish. Results: The LC50 for leachate from smoked cigarette butts (smoked filter + tobacco) was approximately one cigarette butt/l for both the marine topsmelt ( Atherinops affinis ) and the freshwater fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ). Leachate from smoked cigarette filters (no tobacco), was less toxic, with LC50 values of 1.8 and 4.3 cigarette butts/l, respectively for both fish species. Unsmoked cigarette filters (no tobacco) were also found to be toxic, with LC50 values of 5.1 and 13.5 cigarette butts/l, respectively, for both fish species. Conclusion: Toxicity of cigarette butt leachate was found to increase from unsmoked cigarette filters (no tobacco) to smoked cigarette filters (no tobacco) to smoked cigarette butts (smoked filter + tobacco). This study represents the first in the literature to investigate and affirm the toxicity of cigarette butts to fish, and will assist in assessing the potential ecological risks of cigarette butts to the aquatic environment.
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A study of fine particulate matter in the lungs of asthmatic children showed that the majority of fine particulate matter present in the lungs was man-made carbon nanotubes.
“a study of fine particulate matter in the lungs of asthmatic children, with results showing that the majority of fine particulate matter, which is known to have an adverse effect on lung function, present in the lungs of the subjects of the study was man-made carbon nanotubes [91].”
From Nanoparticles in Construction Materials and Other Applications, and Implications of Nanoparticle Use (2019) · cites this paper as [91]
The Background and Materials and methods sections describe tests of cigarette-butt leachate on marine and freshwater fish, not a study of children’s lungs. Searches for asthmatic children, fine particulate matter in lungs, carbon nanotubes, and lung function found no passage addressing the attributed finding. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)
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Cites
Cigarettes Butts and the Case for an Environmental Policy on Hazardous Cigarette Waste
Novotny, T. E., Lum, K., Smith, E., Wang, V., & Barnes, R. (2009) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph6051691 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
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Nanoparticles in Construction Materials and Other Applications, and Implications of Nanoparticle Use
Mohajerani, A., Burnett, L., Smith, J. V., Kurmus, H., Milas, J., Arulrajah, A., Horpibulsuk, S., & Abdul Kadir, A. (2019) · Materials · doi:10.3390/ma12193052 · Cited by 348 · see citing works
Global Tobacco Economics Consortium (2018) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.k1162 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
- Authors
- Slaughter, E., Gersberg, R. M., Watanabe, K., Rudolph, J., Stransky, C., & Novotny, T. E.
- Affiliations
- San Diego State University (US)
- Nautilus (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Slaughter, Elli
- Venue
- Tobacco Control
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2011-04-18
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- Suppl 1
- Pages
- i25-i29
- ISSN
- 0964-4563 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-3318
- PMC
- PMC3088407
- OpenAlex
- W2153126087
- Cited by
- 373
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 6.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Tobacco Control (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program
- San Diego State University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- cigarette butts, aquatic toxicity, fish toxicity, LC50, Atherinops affinis, fathead minnow, cigarette filters, tobacco residue, marine litter, environmental risk assessment, cigarette tar
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Environmental Exposure, Environmental Monitoring, Filtration, Fishes, Fresh Water, Hazardous Waste, Smoke, Smoking, Tars, Nicotiana, United States, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Hazardous Substances, Aquatic Organisms, Tobacco Products
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