BACKGROUND: The use of waterpipes for smoking flavored and traditional tobacco products, which causes hazardous chemicals to be released, is raising ecological and health concerns. The study aims to evaluate comprehensively the level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contained within the wastewater produced during smoke waterpipe tobacco.
METHODS: The concentration of 11 compounds of (PCBs) and 12 different (OCPs) were determined in wastewater of smoked waterpipe. Wastewater from burning two types of flavored and traditional tobacco was investigated. Among the flavored tobacco, 4 brands of the most famous and widely used tobacco were selected. After regular smokers use waterpipes, wastewater from the waterpipe machine and the remaining tobacco residues wastewater in the head are collected. From each brand, 10 samples were obtained. The collected samples were placed in opaque glass containers, wrapped in foil, transported to the lab with a cold box, and kept in a dark environment at − 4°C until analysis.
RESULTS: PCB concentrations in flavored tobacco samples were found to range from 10.36 to 11.94 μg/l, which is higher than in traditional tobacco at 10.26 μg/l. According to the OCP analysis, the most prevalent congener was β-HCH, with levels up to 51% and 45% in both flavored and traditional tobacco, respectively. The most abundant PCB in all analyzed samples was PCB194 which consistently accounted for 24-25% of the total PCBs followed by PCB77 as the second most dominant component in all brands except Al tawareg.
CONCLUSIONS: It’s worth noting that flavored tobacco samples had negligible levels of DDT. The results may indicate that waterpipe wastewater could lead to environmental contamination and consequently have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and public health. This study underlines the need for strict regulations and sustainable practices in waste management to lower the environmental and health impacts of waterpipe tobacco wastes.