The effect of climatic variables and techno-structural factors on the water pollution caused by nicotine leakage from littered cigarette butts.

ABSTRACT

Nicotine is one of the main pollutants in cigarette smoke that trapped in the filter. Nicotine leakage from cigarette butts is one of the concerns associated with this hazardous waste. In this study, the concentration of nicotine leaked from cigarette butts into the urban environment was investigated under the influence of three parameters including rainfall, density, and the durability of the littered cigarette butt. The leakage of nicotine into the environment was estimated in six scenarios based on the difference in the durability of cigarette butts in the urban environment and the humidity ratio. The results showed that the density of littered cigarette butts was 0.0019-0.294 number/m2. The density of littered cigarette butts in residential land-use was 52.38% lower than commercial land-use. Nicotine leakage from cigarette butts in commercial, residential, and recreational land-uses was 1.1, 0.484, and .0065 mg/m2, respectively. In the studied scenarios, in the best and worst case, 335,070 and 481,950 gr/year of nicotine will leak from the cigarette butt into the water resources. Considering that cigarette butts are a serious source of toxins including nicotine to the environment, control measures are necessary to reduce its density in the urban environment.