Why is indoor air quality important?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) generally refers to the condition of the air in and around the buildings where we work, live and spend free time: including its temperature, humidity, air flow and concentration of substances. IAQ is important because it may impact on general both health and comfort. As people spend considerable amount of time indoors, understanding and controlling IAQ can help reduce general health risks and create more pleasant environment.
Outdoor air quality, the design of the space, the ventilation system, the number of occupants and any air contaminants, can all affect IAQ. Since environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) also can affect air quality, we have studied its effects for decades. We believe that measuring IAQ and developing methods to control it will help us to better assess the impact of our products on IAQ.
Based on our research, our Reduced-Risk Products (RRP)* have a lower impact on IAQ than cigarettes. Several mechanical features of RRP* are thought to be involved in this result. For example, RRP* devices don’t emit side stream vapor (vapor emitted when the product is not in active use), reducing the overall emission. Specifically, the amount of constituents including HPHCs (Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents) in the main stream vapor is much lower than in the smoke from cigarettes.
One of the social problems known about cigarettes and other tobacco products is that their use may disturb others who are not using the products. Knowledge and technologies developed through studying IAQ may also be useful in addressing this problem.
Indoor Air Quality Testing
IAQ testing is the way we measure and assess the impact of our products on IAQ. When evaluating our products, we believe it is necessary to consider actual usage conditions. Therefore, our laboratory facility simulates real environment situations, like restaurants and houses. During testing, smokers and vapers use their products inside an environmentally controlled chamber set to external standards of temperature, humidity and ventilation.
We collect the air from inside the chamber and analyze it for general air quality markers such as CO2, particulate matters and formaldehyde. We also look for ETS markers, such as nicotine, and constituents detected in the vapor. This helps us understand the direct impact of our product emissions on air quality.
Most constituents are measured according to international analytical standards. We have developed analytical methods for constituents where no measuring method had previously been established or for constituents with high quantitative sensitivity through further research, introduction of new equipment and devising parameter settings of the analytical equipment etc. These high-sensitivity analytical methods further ensure sufficient sensitivity when monitoring small quantities. To date, our scientific data has demonstrated that our RRP* have less impact on IAQ compared to cigarettes.
Standards for Indoor Air Quality testing
For better assessment of IAQ and to ensure objectivity, we refer to external standards when we conduct experiments. This ensures that variables such as the design of the enclosed space, and the ventilation system are controlled. As there are no such standards for IAQ testing of tobacco and vapor products, we refer to the established standards for measuring IAQ more generally. All of our analytes and experimental conditions are chosen in accordance with these standards.
For example, we refer to ANSI/ASHRAE standards[1] - [3] and British standard[4] for ventilation conditions. ANSI/ASHRAE Standards 62-2001 (2001) [1] specifies minimum ventilation rates for acceptable IAQ indoor air quality and ANSI/ASHRAE Standards 62.1-2007 (2007) [2] includes requirements for buildings containing environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and ETS-free areas. British standard BS EN 15251:2007 (2007)[4] specifies the indoor environmental parameters which have an impact on the energy performance of buildings and ISO 16814 (2008)[5] is intended to specify methods to express the quality of indoor air suitable for human occupancy.
These standards [6]- [11] also provide indoor environmental markers such as CO, CO2, formaldehyde, particulate matters, and their analytical methods. In addition to these markers, we also measure constituents detected in the vapor, such as HPHCs which are specified by public authorities.
For more detail on HPHCs, please see Aerosol Chemistry
For more detail of analytes and methods, please see our publications and posters
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2018
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2018
SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON NICOTINE & TOBACCO ANNUAL MEETING, 2019
SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON NICOTINE & TOBACCO ANNUAL MEETING, 2019
Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment Annual Meeting, 2019
Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment Annual Meeting, 2019
Studying IAQ in a simulated environment
In a recent study into IAQ carried out by JT Science, we simulated restaurant environments. Three smokers used IT1 (In-direct Heating Tobacco System Platform 1) in the ‘restaurant’. We measured the indoor concentrations of a total of 18 substances*.
*Main additives to IT1, substances generated from IT 1, typical cigarette smoke substances in the environment, and indoor air substances.
The study found almost no difference between the IAQ when IT1 was used versus the control environment where it was not. This demonstrates that the use of IT1 has minimal impact on IAQ.
| Substances | With person(s) |
ITI product with person(s) |
LOD | LOQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean indoor air concentration Cexhaust ± 95%CI |
|||||
| RSP | (mg/m3) | <0.05 | <0.05 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| UVPM | (μg/m3) | <0.276 | <0.276 | 0.276 | 0.919 |
| FPM | (μg/m3) | <0.006 | <0.006 | 0.006 | 0.019 |
| Solanesol | (μg/m3) | <0.713 | <0.713 | 0.713 | 2.375 |
| Nicotine | (μg/m3) | <0.201 | <0.669 | 0.201 | 0.669 |
| 3-Ethenylpyridine | (μg/m3) | <0.026 | <0.026 | 0.026 | 0.085 |
| Formaldehyde | (μg/m3) | 4.952 ± 0.437 | 4.837 ± 0.248 | 0.184 | 0.614 |
| Acetaldehyde | (μg/m3) | 5.948 ± 0.824 | 5.424 ± 1.078 | 0.294 | 0.979 |
| Acetone | (μg/m3) | 9.403 ± 0.515 | 9.793 ± 1.183 | 0.387 | 1.292 |
| Toluene | (μg/m3) | <7.143 | <2.143 | 2.143 | 7.143 |
| TVOC | (μg/m3) | <40 | <40 | 12 | 40 |
| Propylene glycol | (μg/m3) | <261 | <261 | 261 | 869 |
| Glycerol | (μg/m3) | <248 | <248 | 248 | 828 |
| Triacetin | (μg/m3) | <264 | <264 | 264 | 880 |
| Carbob monooxide, CO | (ppm) | <0.17 | <0.17 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
| Carbon dioxide, CO2 | (ppm) | 590 ± 20 | 590 ± 50 | 7 | 24 |
| Ammonia | (μg/m3) | 6.0 ± 5.4 | 9.9 ± 2.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| SPM | (mg/m3) | <0.01 | <0.01 | Measurable low concentration of 0.01 (Uncertainty ± 10%) | Measurable low concentration of 0.01 (Uncertainty ± 10%) |
Abbreviations: RSP, Respirable Suspended Particles; UVPM, Ultraviolet Particulate Matter; FPM, Fluolescent Particulater Matter; TVOC, Total Volatile Organic Compounds; SPM, Suspended Particulate Matter; LOD, Limit of Detection; LOQ, Limit of Quantification
For more detail of analytes and methods, please see our publications and posters
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2018
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2018