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Littered cigarette butts in both coastal and inland cities of China: occurrence and environmental risk assessment
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Researchers surveyed cigarette butt pollution across four Chinese cities, both coastal and inland, assessing contamination levels and heavy metal leaching risks. The study found that cigarette butts release microplastics and heavy metal particles, with contamination patterns varying by land use type and city development level, highlighting cigarette waste as an underappreciated source of microplastic pollution.
Cigarette butts (CBs) pollution is a critical global environmental issue, yet limited research exists on CBs pollution in both coastal and inland Chinese cities with varying development levels. This study investigated CBs occurrence, contamination, Cigarette Butts Pollution Index (CBPI), and heavy metal leakage in four cities. The results of CBs collected over multiple days revealed higher contamination levels in coastal city of Dalian (0.10 ± 0.03 CBs/m 2 ), inland cities of Baoding (0.06 ± 0.02 CBs/m 2 ) and Meizhou (0.07 ± 0.02 CBs/m 2 ) compared to first-tier coastal city of Guangzhou (0.03 ± 0.02 CBs/m 2 ). Patterns of CBs occurrence and CBPI varied across land usage and cities development level. SEM and EDS analysis identified microplastics and heavy metal particles released from CBs in water environments. ICP-MS detected a total of 629.7 μg/L of 14 heavy metals. Approximately 1.9 ± 0.9 g/km 2 of heavy metals are leaked daily in Chinese cities due to CBs, posing a severe threat to soil and water safety given the indiscriminate disposal of CBs. This study offers scientific insights into CBs pollution and underscores the pressing need for effective measures to mitigate environmental hazards, particularly heavy metal and microplastics contamination released from CBs in China.
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Research on the presence of cigarette butts and their leaching of chemical pollutants and microparticles: the case of Dalian, China
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This study quantified toxic substances (heavy metals, PAHs, and microplastics) leached from littered cigarette butts from major Chinese brands, providing data on the pollution contribution of cigarette butt litter in urban Chinese environments.
Spatio-temporal distribution of cigarette butt contamination in urban beaches with varying levels of use.
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Researchers assessed cigarette butt contamination on two urban beaches in Recife, Brazil over nine months, finding that contamination levels correlated with beach use intensity, with butts at varying degradation stages, and that brand composition varied temporally and spatially across sampling events.
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.
Cigarette butts of a major Brazilian city linked to deprivation and urban infrastructure
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Researchers mapped the distribution of cigarette butt litter across nine sites in Guaruja, Brazil, and linked contamination patterns to socioeconomic deprivation and urban infrastructure. The study found that cigarette butts, a major source of microplastics and toxic leachates, were more concentrated in areas with higher deprivation levels, highlighting the intersection of social inequality and environmental pollution.
Tiny but Deadly: a Threat to Environment
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This study quantified toxic metals leaching from discarded cigarette butts — the most common form of plastic litter — finding that both the filter and the whole butt release metals into water. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate plastic and represent a poorly recognized source of chemical pollution in the environment.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.