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Cigarette butts as a source of urban ecosystem pollution
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Cigarette butts—the world's most littered item at ~4.5 trillion discarded annually—introduce over 4,000 chemicals into ecosystems and are a major source of microplastic fibers from cellulose acetate filters, with this review analyzing the toxicity of cigarette butt filtrate to aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter. About 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are thrown away worldwide each year, polluting various ecosystems. Many chemicals are used in the process of growing tobacco and producing cigarettes. More than 4,000 chemicals can enter the environment during smoking and through cigarette butts. Cigarette filters are also a major source of microplastics that enter the environment and have a negative impact on living organisms. This article provides an analytical review of studies on the toxicity of cigarette butt filtrate. Long-term information on the dynamics of cigarette sales in stores in Kaluga was collected, and the density of discarded cigarette butts in different areas of the city was analyzed. An uneven distribution of cigarette butts across Kaluga was revealed. The highest concentration of cigarette butts is observed near public transport stops, supermarkets, markets and grocery stores, around benches in recreation areas. Smoked and unsmoked cigarette filters were used to assess toxicity using the automated biotechnical system “Biolat-2”. Tetrahymena pyriformis infusoria cultures were used as test organisms. The test results showed the toxicity of cigarette butts for Tetrahymena pyriformis.
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A review on cigarette butts: Environmental abundance, characterization, and toxic pollutants released into water from cigarette butts
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This review examines the environmental impact of discarded cigarette butts, which number in the trillions worldwide each year and are among the most common litter items. Researchers found that cigarette filters release harmful substances including heavy metals, nicotine, and cellulose acetate microplastic fibers when they enter water. The study highlights that cigarette butt pollution represents a significant but often overlooked source of both chemical contamination and microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Cigarette Butt Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Environmental Fate, Ecotoxicological Impacts and Mitigation Strategies
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Cigarette butts are one of the world's most common types of litter, and this review shows they leak toxic chemicals and tiny plastic fibers into rivers, lakes, and oceans, harming fish and other wildlife. These pollutants can build up in aquatic animals, meaning they could eventually make their way into the seafood we eat, so reducing cigarette litter matters for both ecosystems and our own health.
A Review of Environmental Pollution from the Use and Disposal of Cigarettes and Electronic Cigarettes: Contaminants, Sources, and Impacts
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Researchers reviewed the environmental pollution caused by the use and disposal of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, including their role as a source of microplastic contamination. Cigarette butts made of cellulose acetate are minimally degradable and represent a major source of both bulk plastic and microplastic pollution, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. The study documents that cigarette butt leachate and nicotine are toxic to a wide range of organisms from microbes to mammals.
Toxicants Released from Cigarette Butt and Other Tobacco and Nicotine Product Waste and Their Ecotoxicological Impact: A Systematic Review with One Health Perspectives
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This review pulls together 47 studies showing that discarded cigarette butts leak toxic chemicals, nicotine, and tiny plastic particles into soil and water, harming fish, plants, and other wildlife. While the focus is on ecosystems, it's a reminder that this common litter is a lasting pollution source, and its ripple effects on the environment we depend on are still not fully understood.
Smoked cigarette butts: Unignorable source for environmental microplastic fibers
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Researchers highlight that discarded cigarette butts, made of cellulose acetate plastic, are an overlooked but major source of environmental microplastic fibers, with each butt containing over 15,000 detachable plastic strands. They estimate that approximately 300,000 tons of potential microplastic fibers from cigarette butts may enter aquatic environments annually. The study notes that these fibers also carry toxic substances like nicotine and carcinogenic compounds that can harm aquatic organisms.
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