Environmental fate and effects of nicotine released during cigarette production

Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of the environmental fate and effects of nicotine, a chemical released during cigarette production. It discusses various studies conducted to determine the octanol-water partition coefficient, biodegradation rate, and toxicity of nicotine to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The text also explores the atmospheric degradation of nicotine and its distribution in the environment.

Key Points:

* Nicotine has a low octanol-water partition coefficient, indicating that it will not bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms.
* Nicotine is readily biodegradable in both aqueous and soil-based media, with degradation rate constants similar to or greater than easily biodegradable materials.
* Nicotine has low toxicity to microorganisms, algae, and terrestrial plants.
* The U.S. EPa PBT Profiler estimated a nicotine half-life of only 0.18 d (4.3 h) in the atmosphere.
* The Canadian Environmental Modeling Center level III model estimated that after equilibration of nicotine releases into the environment, nicotine is expected to be found at 93% in water, 4% in the soil, 3% in air, and 0.4% in sediment.
* Total hazard quotients for algae and buttercrunch lettuce are much less than one, suggesting that nicotine releases into the environment would not be toxic to these organisms.
* Nicotine deposition into the environment via air could be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial plants.

Main Message:
The text concludes that nicotine is readily biodegraded in the environment and is nontoxic to microorganisms, algae, and terrestrial species. however, nicotine releases into the environment, if they were to occur in the form of wastewater from the manufacturing process or tobacco dust sent to landfills, additives to compost, or fillers in fertilizers, would not be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial plants. however, deposition of volatile nicotine releases into the environment via air could be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial plants, indicating the need for proper disposal methods to minimize environmental harm.

Seckar, Joel a., Mari S. Stavanja, Paul R. harp, Yongsheng Yi, Charles D. Garner, and Jon Doi. “Environmental Fate and Effects of Nicotine Released during Cigarette Production.” Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27, no. 7 (July 2008): 1505–14. https://doi.org/10.1897/07-284.1.