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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors about Cigarette-Butt Littering among College-Aged Adults in the United States
ClearSmokers’ Attitude and Behavior towards Cigarette Littering in Romania: A Survey-Based Approach
A survey-based study analyzed smokers' attitudes and behaviors toward cigarette butt littering in Romania, finding that despite awareness of the problem, littering behavior remains widespread. The study identifies psychological factors and social norms that sustain cigarette butt littering and suggests targeted behavioral interventions.
Smokers’ behaviour and the toxicity of cigarette filters to aquatic life: a multidisciplinary study
Researchers combined behavioral observation of 597 smokers with ecotoxicity tests on cigarette filters, finding that younger smokers and those in groups were more likely to litter, and that cigarette filter fibers — made from semisynthetic plastics — are highly toxic to freshwater insect larvae even at very low concentrations. Sediment exposure was especially harmful, causing over 20% higher larval mortality and severely stunted growth and development.
A Review of Environmental Pollution from the Use and Disposal of Cigarettes and Electronic Cigarettes: Contaminants, Sources, and Impacts
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.
Time to kick the butt of the most common litter item in the world: Ban cigarette filters
Researchers argue that cigarette filters, made of cellulose acetate single-use plastic, offer no public health benefit while being the most littered item globally and a significant source of microplastics, toxic chemical leaching, and ecological harm.
Littered cigarette butts in both coastal and inland cities of China: occurrence and environmental risk assessment
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; A Little Leaven That Leaveneth the Whole Lump
Cigarette filters are among the most littered plastic items globally, yet most smokers surveyed in Nigeria's Bayelsa State did not know that butts are non-biodegradable and toxic — and 46% admitted to discarding them randomly in the environment. Because cigarette filters are a significant source of microplastics and release hundreds of chemicals into air, water, and soil, the study calls for both public education and greater accountability from tobacco companies for end-of-life filter management.
Cigarette butt pollution in popular beaches of Morocco: Abundance, distribution, and mitigation measures
This study surveyed cigarette butt pollution on eleven Moroccan Mediterranean beaches from 2018 to 2023, finding cigarette butts were the most common type of litter. Pollution levels varied by beach type, season, and visitor density, highlighting the need for targeted local action against this major source of plastic waste.
Koja je cijena pušenja? – Opasnosti za okoliš
This Croatian paper reviews the environmental hazards of cigarette butt litter, noting that approximately 80% of cigarette butts are discarded into the environment. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, a polymer that degrades slowly and leaches toxic chemicals into soil and water. The authors discuss biodegradable filter alternatives as a strategy to reduce plastic pollution from tobacco products.
GenZs environmental attitudes and ecology behavior nexus: Urgent education message
Researchers examined the environmental attitudes and ecological behaviors of Generation Z high school and undergraduate students. The study suggests that environmental education in schools is critical for reducing plastic litter pollution, which the authors identify as potentially one of the most significant health challenges of the 21st century.
Different faces of cigarette butts, the most abundant beach litter worldwide.
Cigarette butts collected from an urban beach were characterized at different stages of physical and chemical degradation, revealing they shed cellulose acetate microplastic fibers and leach toxic chemicals as they break down. As the most abundant beach litter worldwide, cigarette butts represent a significant but often overlooked source of plastic fibers and chemical contamination in marine environments.
Spatio-temporal distribution of cigarette butt contamination in urban beaches with varying levels of use.
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.
Cigarette butts as a source of urban ecosystem pollution
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.
Research on the presence of cigarette butts and their leaching of chemical pollutants and microparticles: the case of Dalian, China
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.
Microplastics and toxic leachate from littered cigarette butts threaten the environment, biodiversity, and human well-being
Observation of a butterfly drinking from a littered cigarette butt prompted this review of the environmental and health impacts of cigarette waste, highlighting cigarette filters as a major source of microplastic pollution and calling for sustainable mitigation measures from manufacturers and policymakers.
“Smoke on the beach”: on the use of economic vs behavioral policies to reduce environmental pollution by cigarette littering
A field experiment at Italian beach resorts tested whether portable ashtrays or behavioral nudge messaging better reduced cigarette butt littering. Portable ashtrays combined with information proved more effective, with implications for reducing one of the most abundant sources of microplastic pollution on beaches.
Microplastics contamination in branded cigarettes: Characterization and potential burning inhalation risk assessment
Analysis of 21 domestic and international cigarette brands found microplastics present in filter materials, raising concern about inhalation exposure during smoking as an underrecognized route of human microplastic intake.
Modelling the global economic costs of tobacco product waste
Researchers modeled the global economic costs of improper tobacco product waste disposal, focusing on the cellulose acetate filters in cigarette butts, which are the world's most collected litter item. The modeling estimated substantial municipal cleanup costs and environmental damage costs attributable to cigarette butt waste globally, providing economic arguments for filter bans.
The unignorable ecological impact of cigarette butts in the ocean: an underestimated and under-researched concern
This opinion piece argues that cigarette butts — which contain plastic cellulose acetate filters that fragment into microplastics — are a significantly underestimated source of ocean plastic pollution. Billions of cigarette butts are discarded each year, and recognizing them as a major microplastic source is important for designing more effective litter-reduction policies.
A Preliminary Survey on Knowledge and Attitudes of University Students Regarding Microplastic Pollution and Its Impact on the Environment
A cross-sectional survey of university students found moderate knowledge and attitudes toward microplastic pollution, with no significant variation by age, gender, academic performance, or field of study. The findings suggest that structured education and media engagement are needed to improve microplastic literacy among young people who will shape future demand for plastic alternatives.
Smoked cigarette butts: Unignorable source for environmental microplastic fibers
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.
The environmental and health impacts of tobacco agriculture, cigarette manufacture and consumption
This review examines the environmental footprint of tobacco beyond the well-known health harms, covering impacts at every stage from crop growing to cigarette butt disposal. Cigarette filters — which are made of plastic — are among the most common items found in environmental litter surveys, contributing both microplastics and toxic chemicals to soil and water.
A review on cigarette butts: Environmental abundance, characterization, and toxic pollutants released into water from cigarette butts
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 butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern
Researchers investigated whether cigarette butts are a significant source of microfiber pollution by analyzing smoked and unsmoked filters. They found that cigarette filters release large quantities of cellulose acetate microfibers, with smoked filters releasing even more than unsmoked ones due to degradation during use. The study identifies discarded cigarette butts as an overlooked but substantial contributor to microplastic pollution in the environment.
The Hidden Threat of Microplastics in Traditional Cigarettes: A Narrative Review of Health and Environmental Risks
This review reveals that microplastics have been detected in 99% of cigarette filters, meaning smokers are inhaling and ingesting these particles with every cigarette. Microplastics have been found in the blood, lungs, placenta, and feces of the general population, but smokers face particularly high exposure. The improper disposal of cigarette butts also releases microplastics into the environment, making cigarettes a significant and overlooked source of microplastic pollution.