Sorption, desorption, and surface oxidative fate of nicotine

Nicotine dynamics in an indoor environment can be greatly affected by building parameters (e.g. relative humidity (RH), air exchange rate (AER), and presence of ozone), as well as surface parameters (e.g. surface area (SA) and polarity). To better understand the indoor fate of nicotine, these parameter effects on its sorption, desorption, and oxidation rates were investigated on model indoor surfaces that included fabrics, wallboard paper, and wood materials. Nicotine sorption under dry conditions was enhanced by higher SA and higher polarity of the substrate. Interestingly, nicotine sorption to cotton and nylon was facilitated by increased RH, while sorption to polyester was hindered by it. Desorption was affected by RH, AER, and surface type. Heterogeneous nicotine–ozone reaction was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), and revealed a pseudo first-order surface reaction rate of 0.035 ± 0.015 min⁻¹ (at [O₃] = 6 ± 0.3 × 10¹⁵ molecules cm⁻³) that was partially inhibited at high RH. Extrapolation to a lower ozone level ([O₃] = 42 ppb) showed oxidation on the order of 10⁻⁵ min⁻¹ corresponding to a half-life of 1 week. In addition, similar surface products were identified in dry and high RH using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). However, FTIR analysis revealed different product spectra for these conditions, suggesting additional unidentified products and association with surface water. Knowing the indoor fate of condensed and gas phase nicotine and its oxidation products will provide a better understanding of nicotine’s impact on personal exposures as well as overall indoor air quality.