An important and somewhat under-emphasized issue in assessing the risk potentially associated with exposure to ETS is the reliability and objectivity of the methods used to measure the actual level of exposure. Objectivity of the science is crucial in...
An important and somewhat under-emphasized issue in assessing the risk potentially associated with exposure to ETS is the reliability and objectivity of the methods used to measure the actual level of exposure. Objectivity of the science is crucial in this context since this topic tends to elicit strong social, emotional and political responses among the general public and the scientific community alike. This mini-review compares the strengths and limitations of various methods used in determining ETS exposure in scientific investigations. Methods reviewed include: questionnaire, area monitoring, bio-monitoring, and personal monitoring. In particular, results of several recent studies (conducted in the United States, Europe, and the Far East) using personal monitors in combination with questionnaire and bio-monitoring, which contribute to a more reliable, objective and realistic estimates of a person's actual exposure to 575, are discussed.