This study was conducted to investigate the effects of passive inhalation of cigarette smoke and the correlation between change of flicker value and active or passive smoking in poorly ventilated room.
Forty five male students were tested by divided into four experimental groups composed of active and passive smokers and three control groups.
Each four experimental groups were exposed to smoke for Two!, hours in enclosed room.
Vital capacities, flicker values, blood carboxyhemoglobin levels! and carbon monoxide concentration in room air were estimated before, during and after the exposure, and amounts of smoking or smoke exposure during two hours were also noted.
The results obtained were as follows;
1. Concentration of carbon monoxide in air and increase of blood carboxyhemoglobin level (% COHb) were positively correlated with smoking amount.
2. Increase of blood carboxyhemoglobin in passive smokeres, in average, were about seventy six percent of that in smokers, as 2.2% vs. 2.9%.
3. Comparison with published data showed that Peterson´s equation gave most similar result to this study in estimation of increase of blood carboxyhemoglobin level.
4. During the exposure, flicker values fell steadily in both experimental groups and control
groups as time passed. Flicker values were, however, elevated again in experimental
groups after exposure, despite the fact that values still fell in control groups.
5. Blood carboxyhemoglobin and flicker value were negatively correlated and this correlat-
ionship was stronger in passive smoker than in active smoker.
6. Multiple regression equation between flicker value and exposure time and blood carboxyhemoglobin level was expressed as:
Flicker value=41.60.2 COHbo0.9Hour,
7. In general, it is suggested that biological criteria would be more preferrable than chemical criteria in establishment of statutory limitation of smoking pn´enclosed spaces.
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