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Cigarette butts as a source of urban ecosystem pollution
Summary
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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