Evaluation of the impact of indoor smoking bans on air quality in Australian licensed clubs

The quality of indoor air in Australian buildings is unknown due to limited published data. The assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) in hospitality environments is of special concern because they are frequented by sensitive populations such as the elderly, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions, who may be at risk of developing adverse health reactions if the IAQ is poor. As of 2010, all Australian states and territories have introduced legalisation banning smoking in enclosed public places, including licensed clubs. This project has evaluated the impact of indoor smoking bans on air quality inside and outside of Australian licensed clubs. In doing this it has identified emerging IAQ issues in post smoking ban environments, and documented the airborne concentrations of previously unstudied air contaminants such as particulate matter with a 50% cut-point diameter of 1.0 μm (PM1.0) and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH) in the indoor smoking areas of Australian licensed clubs. The study involved collecting approximately 400 hours of air quality data, of which 200 hours was collected before bans and 200 hrs was collected after smoking bans were introduced in licensed clubs located within two local government districts of South Eastern Australia. Clubs 1 to 7 were located in the one district and Clubs 8 to 11 in the other district. Club 4 dropped out following the pre ban monitoring, and the results were omitted from analysis. The air quality parameters measured inside include particulate matter with a 50% cut-point diameter of 2.5 μm (PM2.5), PPAH, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and humidity. The air quality parameters measured outside were PM2.5, CO2, temperature and humidity. Each of the parameters were monitored for 4 hour periods on 4 occasions in each club both before, and after the introduction of indoor smoking bans. Additional monitoring of indoor concentrations of PM1.0, nicotine and PM2.5 particulates with a special calibration factor for environmental tobacco smoke calibration factor of 0.32 (PM2.5 (0.32)) was undertaken in the second group of clubs and monthly monitoring following the bans was undertaken in Clubs 9 and 11.There was a significant reduction in the mean airborne concentrations of PM2.5, PM1.0, PM2.5 (0.32), PPAH, CO and nicotine at all clubs following the implementation of the smoking bans. Of note was the increase in the mean outdoor PM2.5 concentrations at 6 clubs, and the significant increase in the number of outdoor smokers at 8 venues. The greatest change was an increase in the frequency of outdoor PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 25 μm m-3 which is the Australian PM2.5 advisory standard for ambient air (24 hours). Weak to strong significant correlations (R2=0.402-0.757 p=0.000-0.022) were identified between outdoor smokers and indoor PM2.5 concentrations (3 clubs), and a significant correlation (R2=1.000 p=0.000) between nicotine and indoor pollutants at one club. The results of this study indicate that indoor smoking bans may not fully protect the health of the public and workers in venues because of the possible infiltration of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) identified at three clubs, as well as outdoor exposure to ETS associated with an increase in smoking activity. The lack of current indoor air quality standards makes the interpretation of the post ban air quality data difficult. Although, the mean concentration of contaminants were all below recommended limits for ambient air. The potential infiltration of ETS inside some clubs indicates that air quality may still represent both an occupational and public health risk because ETS has no safe exposure limit (WHO, 2000). Factors that were observed to have a potential negative impact on IAQ after the introduction of indoor smoking bans included hazard reduction burns and cooking processes which emitted similar air pollutants to ETS, but at lower concentrations, as well as the use of air curtains over doorways which could potentially exacerbate the reemission of ETS contaminants from the clothing of smokers. The study indicates that while there has been a significant improvement in the IAQ in licensed clubs after the introduction of indoor smoking bans, there has been deterioration in the air quality of outdoor areas where smoking is allowed. The decline in the air quality indicates that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW) definitions of a non-enclosed space where smoking is permitted to take place do not protect workers from exposure to ETS, for which there is no safe exposure limit