Assessment of ambient volatile hydrocarbons from tobacco smoke and from vehicle emissions.

Quantitative proportions of C2-C8 alkenes, alkadienes, alkynes, alkanes and arenes were determined for indoor smoky air and for air inside a private car. Samples were taken on adsorbent cartridges and analysed by gas chromatography on an aluminium oxide column. The proportions of more than twenty reported alkenes, alkadienes and alkynes were demonstrated to be very similar in a smoky room and in sidestream cigarette smoke. Isoprene, ethene and propene are major components. Urban air polluted by petrol-fuelled vehicles differs mainly by having much lower proportions of isoprene and much higher proportions of petrol alkanes and alkylbenzenes. The total concentration of C2-C8 hydrocarbons was found to be similar in a smoky room and in a car in urban traffic.