Different faces of cigarette butts, the most abundant beach litter worldwide

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

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.

Study of the impact of structural factors and cleaning efficiency in reducing hazardous litter density and its related pollution in urban environment

Cigarette filter is the most common hazardous litter that contains many pollutants including PAHs. The durability of this litter in the urban environment has an important effect on the rate of pollutant leakage. In this study, the leakage rate of PAHs from the littered cigarette filters was estimated by considering the affecting parameters on their durability in the urban environment. The results showed that the density of littered cigarette filters in the studied locations was 0.00048-0.13563 g/m2. The maximum spatial variation of the littered cigarette filter was 225 times. The average leakage of the total studied PAHs was estimated to be 2.048 µg/10 m2. The impact of structural factors and efficiency of urban cleaning in the estimated leakage was at most 2.4 times. It is necessary to change the behavior of citizens in littering the cigarette filter, considering its durability in the urban environment, to reduce the environmental and health consequences caused by the leakage of PAHs.

A review on cigarette butts: Environmental abundance, characterization, and toxic pollutants released into water from cigarette butts

Every year, trillions of cigarette butts (CBs) are discarded into the environment. CBs are frequently found on beaches and in urban areas worldwide due to their high resistance to physical and biological degradation. Components of CBs, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cellulose acetate fibers (microplastics), nicotine, aromatic amines, and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), are released into aquatic environments. Harmful components released into water from CBs cause both water pollution and toxic effects on different aquatic organisms. In the first part of this review, studies investigating the density of CBs in different environments were reviewed. In the second part, the results of studies investigating the characteristics of cigarette filters using characterization techniques were reviewed. Then, studies on heavy metals, PAHs, microplastics (microfibers), nicotine, aromatic amines and BTEX released into water from CBs were reviewed, and factors affecting the types, amounts and release conditions of compounds (pollutants) released into water from CBs were discussed. In the last section, taking into account the studies carried out to date, deficiencies in the research on pollutants released into water from CBs were identified and recommendations were made for future studies. This review highlights the environmental abundance of CBs, the characterization results of CB filters, and the release into water of some substances in CBs that are pollutants for the aquatic environment. This review may serve as a guide to elucidate the environmental abundance of CBs, the characteristics of CBs/filters, and the concentration in water of some pollutants released into water from CBs.

Toxicity of leachate from smoked cigarette butts to terrestrial animals: A case study on the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Cigarette butts, as easily overlooked littered wastes, have been evaluated for toxicity in various researches. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of smoked cigarette butt leachate (SCBL) on the earthworm Eisenia fetida. The results showed the following: 1) E. fetida avoided SCBL in artificial soil, and the avoidance rate was positively correlated with the concentration of SCBL but negatively correlated with the exposure time; 2) the LD50 of SCBL on earthworms at 36 and 48 h of exposure were 3.71 × 10-4 and 2.67 × 10-4 butts/cm2, respectively. Moreover, both the body surface and intestinal tissues of E. fetida were damaged after exposure to SCBL; 3) the survival rates of E. fetida exposed to artificial soil with an SCBL of 3.6 butts/kg for 7 and 14 days were 80.00 ± 7.07 % and 68.00 ± 4.47 %, respectively; and 4) the mean biomass of the surviving E. fetida in all treated groups decreased with increasing SCBL concentration and exposure time. We concluded that SCBL exerted significant negative effects on soil animals, and suggested that SCBs should be collected, detoxified, and reused before entering the natural environment.

Cigarette butt pollution in popular beaches of Morocco: Abundance, distribution, and mitigation measures

Cigarette butts pose a significant challenge in managing solid litter, with an estimated 4.5 trillion of them being discarded into the environment annually. This study investigated the pollution of eleven beaches along the Moroccan Mediterranean by cigarette butts compared to other types of marine litter between 2018 and 2023. Sampling was conducted using the visual survey technique according to a standardized protocol. A total of 50, 575 items were collected with cigarette butts (14.62 %) and plastic caps/lids drinks (10.93 %) being the most common. Our survey of eleven beaches revealed 7395 cigarette butts, giving an average density of 0.06/m2 comparable to other countries in the Mediterranean. The analysis of the results shows significant differences in the abundance cigarette butts according to the beach typology, seasonality, sediment type, and number of beach users. Moreover, the study discovered a decrease in beach pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, resulting in less litter collected compared to pre- and post-pandemic periods. The Cigarette Butt Pollution Index was categorized as very low pollution in M'diq and Kaa Asrass, low pollution in Ksar Sghir, Fnideq, Amsa, Oued Laou, significant pollution in Martil and Nador and sever pollution in Saidia and Sababia. The CBPI was higher during summer and winter, significantly associated with the density levels of beach users. The study recommends immediate action by the local administration to prevent the potential pollution of groundwater and sand by toxic substances leached from cigarette butts.

Abundance and distribution of cigarette butts on the sand of five touristic beaches in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cigarette butts (CB) and cigarette butt fibers (CBF) are highly abundant and frequent residues on beach sand. Also, they are hazardous waste due to their significant toxicity and potential risk to the ecosystems' biota and the health of beach tourists. This study aimed to determine the abundance and density of CB and CBF found on the active, rest, and service zones of five pilot beaches in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. The methodology involved collecting CB and CBF in 500 m2 transects of urban tourist beaches using a citizen science-adapted methodology between June 2021 and May 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The abundance and density of CB and CBF, and the Cigarette Butt Pollution Index (CBPI) were calculated. The highest proportion of CB was found in service and rest areas. Bocagrande (CO) reported the highest generation of CB and CBF and a severe CBPI.

Spatio-temporal distribution of cigarette butt contamination in urban beaches with varying levels of use

This study assessed the extent of cigarette butt contamination on two urban beaches in Recife-PE (Pernambuco State, Brazil) with varying levels of use. The study considered degradation levels and evaluated whether the brands varied by time, space, and beaches use. Ten transects (1.5 m wide) and spaced 10 m apart, were delimited on the beaches investigated. Twelve collections were made between May 2021 and January 2022, and the collected cigarette butts were evaluated based on degradation level, mass, size, and brand. In total, 10,275 cigarette butts were collected on both beaches, with P1 accounting for 96.91% of the found cigarette butts. The density of cigarette butts on the beaches was directly proportional to the level of use, with 8.85 butts/m2 in P1 and 1.05 butts/m2 in P2. Eighteen brands were identified, with brand (A) being the most popular regardless of the area. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found when evaluating the amount of butts/m2; Sundays with high precipitation presented reduced values of butts; more occupied areas presented transects with higher amounts; abundance in the summer; morphometry with higher values recorded in newly discarded butts; predominance of more degraded butts and brand diversity. Despite the difference in the number of butts/m2 between the areas, it was possible to identify that their abundance is very expressive, and that the monitored beaches present a high exposure to the contaminant.

Influence of Weathering on the Degradation of Cellulose Acetate Microplastics Obtained from Used Cigarette Butts

Cellulose acetate is used in many applications, including for cigarette filters. Unfortunately, unlike cellulose, its (bio)degradability is under question, yet it often ends up uncontrolled in the natural environment. The main purpose of this study is to compare the effects of weathering on two types of cigarette filter (classic filters and newer filters that have more recently arrived on the market) following their use and disposal in nature. Microplastics were prepared from polymer parts of used (classic and heated tobacco products-HTP) cigarettes and artificially aged. TG/DTA, FTIR, and SEM analyses were performed both before and after the aging process. Newer tobacco products contain an additional film made of a poly(lactic acid) polymer which, like cellulose acetate, burdens the environment and poses a risk to the ecosystem. Numerous studies have been conducted on the disposal and recycling of cigarette butts and cigarette butt extracts, revealing alarming data that have also influenced the decisions of the EU, who addressed the disposal of tobacco products in the EU Directive (EU) 2019/904. Despite this, there is still no systematic analysis in the literature evaluating the impact of weathering (i.e., accelerated aging) on the degradation of cellulose acetate in classic cigarettes compared with that in newer tobacco products that have recently appeared on the market. This is of particular interest given that the latter have been promoted as being healthier and environmentally friendly. The results show that in cellulose acetate cigarette filters the particle size decreased after accelerated aging. Also, the thermal analysis revealed differences in the behavior of the aged samples, while the FTIR spectra showed no shifts in the position of the peaks. Organic substances break down under UV light, which can be seen by measuring the color change. The PLA film was found to be more stable than cellulose acetate under the influence of UV light.

Beach litter in three South American countries: A baseline for restarting monitoring and cleaning after COVID-19 closure

The COVID-19 pandemic caused that most countries established the closure of many beaches, affecting the scientific monitoring of thousands of coastal sectors. This article shows the status of beach litter in South America before and after COVID-19 closure. The data were obtained during the years 2019, 2020 and 2022 on 25 beaches using a technique BLAT-QQ. The results show that cigarette butts were the most frequent type of litter, meanwhile Brazil should improve cleanliness of general gross litter and gross polystyrene. Colombia gross vegetation litter and small vegetation litter, and Ecuador organic litter from animals. The results shown in qualitative and quantitative manner facilitate their understanding for managers, scholars and activists interested on beach litter monitoring. This baseline is useful to analyse regional and worldwide marine litter trends with the purpose to start or restart monitoring of tourist beaches from a science-based method.

Preparation of a cellulose acetate membrane using cigarette butt recycling and investigation of its efficiency in removing heavy metals from aqueous solution

This study investigated the recycling of freshly-smoked cigarette butts (FCBs) and unsmoked cigarette filters (UCFs) into a cellulose acetate (CA) membrane. The both samples were prepared by means of a combination of seven cigarette brands, and the phase inversion method was used to recycle each sample into a membrane using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The efficiency of the prepared membranes for the removal of chromium, cadmium, and lead from an aqueous solution in a forward osmosis reactor was investigated. The results showed that the both membranes had a smooth surface and macrovoids. The flux of the prepared membranes from the UCFs and FCBs recycling were 14.8 and 13.2 LMH, respectively. The porosity and reverse salt of the UCFs membrane were 61% and 3.5 gMH, while those for FCBs membrane were 58% and 3.9 gMH. The observed metal removal efficiency of the both membranes was in the range of 85 to 90%. However, increasing the concentration of metals up to five times caused a slight decrease in the removal efficiency (less than 5%).

Anthropogenic litter on the macrotidal sandy beaches of the Amazon region

Coastal zones, which are strategic points of considerable importance to the tourism industry, are among the environments most affected by anthropogenic debris. Thus, it is crucial to monitor and implement management programs to provide immediate solutions. Here, we aimed to evaluate anthropogenic litter along 21 macrotidal sandy beaches in the Amazon region. Indices and multivariate statistical analyses were used to identify spatial patterns of pollution, as well as sources and lifetime of the items. A total of 20,286 items were collected, with an average density of 0.19 items/m² and a predominance of plastics. Litter was associated with tourist and recreational activities. The lifetime of most items was <1 year. All beaches had intermediate levels of pollution. The analyses identified varying patterns of anthropogenic litter related to the cleaning frequency and waste item typologies. In conclusion, pollution of macrotidal beaches in the Amazon region is an emerging problem that requires measures to prevent and mitigate the impacts on this ecosystem and to reconsider the form of production and consumption of plastic waste.

Cigarette butts in two urban areas from Brazil: Links among environmental impacts, demography and market

Environmental impacts are currently linked to smoking cigarette behavior, as cigarette butts (CBs) represent the most common litter item in natural areas. Despite this, even the best ranked Brazilian cities, in terms of urban cleaning, have no information about urban littered CBs. Thus, CBs were monitored in Santos and Niterói cities, aiming to assess contamination, Cigarette Butt Pollution Index (CBPI) and the illegal market size. CBs were collected in 36 walkways considering different land usage types and urban density levels. The CBPI was calculated, and brands were used to identify the size of the illegal market. CBs contamination in Santos (0.25 CBs/m²) was three times higher than Niterói (0.08 CBs/m²) and their occurrence and distribution presented no relationship with land usage types and urban population densities levels. CBPI = 17.6 was severe and the highest so far reported. A total of 28 cigarette brands were found both studied cities. Further, illegal cigarette consumption in Santos and Niteroi was estimated, based on brands of collected CBs, at 25.2% and 36.8%, respectively. Such data may be valuable for implementation of logistic reverse actions seeking to environmentally sustainable and socially resilient cities. Cigarette consumption threatens human life and the environment, and tobacco companies should be accountable for the pollution they generate.