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. 2023 Apr 18;33(5):e057925. doi: 10.1136/tc-2023-057925

Table 1. Selected studies on ecotoxicity of cellulose acetate cigarette filter.

Author (date) Organism Findings
Microbial
Quéméneur et al (2020)49 Bacterial strains Smoked cellulose acetate filters change diversity of microbial communities by depleting some microbes and enriching others.49
Aquatic
Belzagui et al (2021)29 Water flea Breakdown of cellulose acetate filter into microfibres induced more toxicity among water fleas than that from filter without microfibres, in some cases by fourfold.29
Green et al (2021)50 Mussel, macroalgae Mussels exposed to leachates from whole butts with cellulose acetate filters had lower clearance rates, indicating increased toxicity compared with mussels exposed to other filters. Mesocosms exposed to cigarette butts with the cellulose acetate had lower chlorophyll content.50
Wright et al (2015)51 Ragworm Marine worms exposed to microfibre concentrations 60 times lower than those observed in urban run-off had negative behavioural and physiological changes, including longer burrowing time and significant weight loss. DNA damage was also twice that for exposed worms compared with unexposed worms.51
Green et al (2020)52 Molluscs, flatworm Exposure to leachates of five smoked cigarette butts (with cellulose acetate filters) per litre of water resulted in 60%–100% mortality of multiple mollusc species and flatworms within 5 days while lower concentrations showed reduction in activity among the organisms.52
Slaughter et al (2011)53 Fish Unsmoked and smoked cigarette filter leachates were found to be toxic to both freshwater and marine fish.53
Lee and Lee (2015)54 Fish Smoked cigarette filter leachates altered development of fish embryos and increased anxiety-like behaviour after hatching. At higher concentrations, both smoked and unsmoked filters increased mortality among the fish.54
Lawal and Ologundudu (2013)55 Frog, fish Exposure to leachate from filtered cigarettes increased mortality among frogs. Exposure to smoked cigarette filter leachates was six and a half times more lethal to frogs and fishes compared with unsmoked filter leachates.55
Terrestrial
Green et al (2019)56 Plants Plants exposed to smoked filters, unsmoked filters or smoked filters with tobacco residue had significantly reduced germination success and initial growth. Alterations in chlorophyll content were also observed.56
Suárez-Rodríguez and Macías Garcia (2014)57 House finch Finches use cellulose fibres from smoked cigarette butts to line their nests; genotoxic damage among the birds was positively associated with higher proportions of cellulose acetate, along with the adsorbed toxins in the filters, in the nests.57