Measured Smoking-Related Chemicals in NHANES

Cotinine in Serum Cotinine file

2,5-dimethylfuran in Volatile Organic Compounds in Blood and Water file

Cotinine: Tobacco use is the most important preventable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States. The consequences of smoking and of using smokeless tobacco products are well known and include an increased risk for several types of cancer, emphysema, acute respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and various other disorders (U.S. DHHS, 2006). Persons exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke (environmental tobacco smoke [ETS]) may have adverse health effects that include lung cancer and coronary heart disease; maternal exposure during pregnancy can result in lower birth weight. Children exposed to ETS are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and exacerbated asthma (U.S. DHHS, 2004). The smoke produced by burning tobacco contains at least 250 chemicals that are toxic or carcinogenic, and more than 50 compounds present in ETS are known or reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens (NTP, 2004). Source: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/chemical_information.html

2,5-Dimethylfuran:  2,5-Dimethylfuran is a volatile chemical found in tobacco smoke (Baggett et al., 1974) and in roasted coffee aroma (Wang et al., 1983). Exposure among the general population may occur through inhaling cigarette smoke and coffee aroma. 2,5-Dimethylfuran in blood and exhaled air has been used to determine smoking status (Ashley et al., 1996; Gordon et al., 2002; Perbellini et al., 2003). In addition, levels of 2,5-dimethylfuran found in blood provide a rough estimate of the number of cigarettes smoked per day (Ashley et al., 1995, 1996). After a person smokes cigarettes, 2,5-dimethylfuran is absorbed from the respiratory tract and then rapidly eliminated from the blood (Egle and Gochberg, 1979; Gordon et al., 2002). 2,5-Dimethylfuran is also a human urinary metabolite of n-hexane. Workers exposed to n-hexane will eliminate 2,5-dimethylfuran, along with other metabolites, in their urine (ATSDR, 2007; Iwata et al., 1983; Mutti et al., 1984; Perbellini et al., 1981). Source: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/chemical_information.html

Articles: 

• Trends in the Exposure of Nonsmokers in the US Population to Secondhand Smoke: 1988-2002. 
• Optimal Serum Cotinine Levels for Distinguishing Cigarette Smokers and Nonsmokers Within Different Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States Between 1999 and 2004. 
• Blood Cotinine Level 
• CDC report: Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals Executive Summary Department of (2009)