Quit now
Share
Little Big Lie
The factsThe liesThe dangers
JOIN US
The factsThe liesThe dangers
Big Tobacco’s cigarette butt lies threaten our health – and our planet – with microplastics[4]

The Little Big Lie

Big Tobacco’s cigarette butt lies threaten our health – and our planet – with microplastics4

Big Tobacco has known all along that cigarette filters don’t make smoking safer.12 Cigarette butts are made of microplastic fibers and filter practically nothing.3 Big Tobacco’s filters scam puts us all at risk, even if we don’t smoke. Microplastics from cigarette waste are contaminating our soil, food, and water around the world and right here in California.56 Research suggests that when they wind up inside of us, microplastics are linked to intestinal damage, infertility, and DNA mutations.60561

Big Tobacco is making a global plastic crisis worse.8 Let’s hold them accountable for their lies.

SPEAK UP
Photo with no alt text

The facts

Big Tobacco’s lie about filters may be the deadliest scam of all.56

Big Tobacco never lets truth get in the way of profit, and their lies about cigarette filters may be the deadliest ever.19 The industry even invested time and money to create filters that change color to trick people into believing they could protect their lungs from dangerous particles.1019 It was a total scam because the so-called filters filter practically nothing.13

Big Tobacco’s deliberate lie has already sickened and killed countless people.1 Now, we’re all at risk because microplastic cigarette butts create a particularly dangerous type of tobacco pollution.1

Microplastic butts put us all at risk.

Butts are made of thousands of tiny plastic fibers that are too small to clean up – and they could be everywhere.4 No surprise since each year Big Tobacco cranks out a staggering 6 trillion cigarettes with so-called “filters.”12 How does plastic in a cigarette butt biodegrade? That’s the problem: It doesn’t.13 It’s also how the tobacco industry became a top contributor to the global plastics crisis.8

PLASTIC FILTERS
PLASTIC FILTERS
Each butt is non-biodegradable because it’s made from 15,000+ microplastic cellulose acetate fibers.413
CIGARETTE PAPERS
CIGARETTE PAPERS
Cigarette paper is treated with harmful chemicals like potassium citrate (for a faster burn rate) and may contain toxic metals lead, cadmium, and arsenic.1415
TOBACCO
TOBACCO
Big Tobacco packs 100+ additives into every cigarette, making them more addictive and dangerous.1617
Blue background image
Floating plastic
Bubble tea
Cup
Knife
Straw
Bottle
Bag
Cigarette
Learn more

#1 most discarded item on California beaches and waterways.24

Cigarette
Learn more

The tobacco industry continues to produce an estimated 6 trillion filtered cigarettes each year.1221

Cigarette
Learn more

Cigarette butts and vapes are toxic waste and are nearly impossible to dispose of safely.2223

Cigarette
Cigarette
Cigarette
Cigarette
Learn more

#1 most littered item in the U.S.24

Cigarette
Learn more

The tobacco industry’s products and waste disproportionately harm lower-income communities and communities of color, which Big Tobacco has targeted for decades.2526

Cigarette
Cigarette
Cigarette
Learn more

On California beaches, there are 9x more cigarette butts than plastic straws.24

Cigarette

#1 most discarded item on California beaches and waterways.24

Cigarette

The tobacco industry continues to produce an estimated 6 trillion filtered cigarettes each year.1221

Cigarette

Cigarette butts and vapes are toxic waste and are nearly impossible to dispose of safely.2223

Cigarette

#1 most littered item in the U.S.24

Cigarette

The tobacco industry’s products and waste disproportionately harm lower-income communities and communities of color, which Big Tobacco has targeted for decades.2526

Cigarette

On California beaches, there are 9x more cigarette butts than plastic straws.24

Photo with no alt text
Photo with no alt text
“

[Cigarette] filters are the deadliest fraud in the history of human civilization. They are put on cigarettes to save on the cost of tobacco and to fool people … In the US, 400,000 people a year die from cigarettes – and those cigarettes almost all have filters.”2728

Robert Proctor
Professor, The History of Science, Stanford University
“

Tobacco waste isn’t any different than a lot of issues in our community, where the burden lies on low-income communities, communities of Black and Brown people, who have historically always borne the brunt of toxic exposure.”

Tara Leonard
Tobacco Educator, Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency

The lies

Big Tobacco created filters to trick people into buying a “safer cigarette,” a deception designed to protect profits, not people.1019

If that wasn’t bad enough, the industry made filters from microplastics that contaminate our environment – a fact they have flat-out denied.6763 Here’s the truth about four tobacco industry scams that have put us all in danger.

Photo with no alt text
Scam #1: Big Tobacco tricks customers with useless filters.1019
In the 1940s and 50s, as the health dangers of cigarettes became clear, Big Tobacco created filters to make customers think they were smoking a “safer cigarette.”12 It was a total scam because the filters filtered practically nothing.3 But Big Tobacco’s deception worked: In 1951, only 1 percent of cigarettes on the market had a filter; by 1958, almost half had a filter; and by 1993, almost all cigarettes were filtered.32
Photo with no alt text
Scam #2: Big Tobacco’s color-changing filters mislead customers.68

Big Tobacco always knew their filters didn’t make cigarettes safer.12 Then, they discovered filters actually gave cigarettes a milder taste, making them seem “healthier” and allowing people to inhale more deeply.13 The tobacco industry seized the chance to hook new customers and invested more time, money, and resources to double down on their already dangerous “safer cigarette” scam.3334

In the 1950s, a chemist from R.J. Reynolds named Claude Teague developed the “Teague Filter” that turned filters from white to brown.29 The change in color fooled people into believing the butts protected their lungs from the toxic chemicals in cigarettes.2

Truth is, no matter what color they turn, “filters” filter practically nothing3 and have even been linked to a specific type of lung cancer.33536

Photo with no alt text
Scam #3: Greenwashing: Big Tobacco denied their tobacco pollution harmed the environment.13
People aren’t the only victims of Big Tobacco’s lies. From wildlife to our oceans – our whole planet is at risk.13 Here’s why. Big Tobacco keeps manufacturing costs down by making cigarette filters from microplastic fibers.3 But the synthetic material doesn’t biodegrade, which makes butts dangerous in all kinds of ways.13 Cigarette butts also contain toxic chemicals – just one can kill a small animal.156970 When soaked in a liter of water, a single butt can release enough toxic chemicals to kill fish and threaten aquatic ecosystems.70 And as butts accumulate, the microplastics and toxic chemicals can leach into our oceans, rivers, lakes, and soil.711959 The industry knows full well that their plastic products are destroying the environment – and they lie about it anyway.37
Photo with no alt text
Scam #4: Big Tobacco dodges blame for toxic cigarette waste.
The tobacco industry wants us to believe that cigarette butts and vapes found on the ground are simply a litter problem.3940 They want us to waste our time installing ashcans in our cities and having beach cleanups.41424344454647 This ruthless industry uses slick PR campaigns to blame people who smoke for its tobacco pollution, dodge accountability, avoid regulations, and spread outright lies.3948
See full documents

A pack of dangerous lies

Big Tobacco pretends to care about protecting people and the planet – when all they really care about is profit.49 Make a difference by voicing your outrage.

SPEAK UP

The dangers

It’s scary to think that microplastics from cigarette butts could be making you or your loved ones sick. Here are some of the risks we all face because Big Tobacco spins dangerous lies.

DNA mutations60
Compounds commonly found in microplastics may damage human DNA and put people at higher risk for certain types of cancer.64
Infertility60
Studies suggest exposure to microplastics can affect fertility by causing problems like low sperm count and miscarriages.6560
Intestinal damage561
Ingesting microplastics may lead to a build-up of toxins in our gut and make us vulnerable to intestinal inflammation and other disorders.
Photo with no alt text
Photo with no alt text
Photo with no alt text

Microplastics are contaminating our food and water.

Microplastics are tiny enough to get into our food chain.5 Microplastics have been found in drinking water, apples, broccoli, lettuce, seafood, and more.62050

Microplastics could be inside of us all.

Studies have found microplastics in human lungs, blood, and stool – which means we’re ingesting and breathing in these tiny, dangerous fibers.515253

Tobacco pollution is a form of racial injustice.

Cigarette pollution is toxic, and lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color are especially at risk of health problems related to tobacco waste.12572 That’s because, as Big Tobacco relentlessly targets these communities, unacceptably high levels of nicotine, benzene, and heavy metals accumulate in the environment and put everyone at risk.5455565725

LBL Trivia background image
QUICK QUIZ

Big Tobacco’s lies endanger our planet

Big Tobacco’s deadly products damage the environment, which in turn can impact your health.457106073 How much do you know about tobacco pollution?

Photo with no alt text,
“

It may come as a surprise that Americans ingest an estimated hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles a year. According to recent studies, microplastics have been found in human lungs, placenta, and blood; they've been linked to fertility issues, intestinal damage, and even mutations in DNA.

Scott Coffin, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board
Cartoon image of characters in suits holding a cigarette

Let’s hold them accountable

Express your outrage about the damage caused by the deceitful tobacco industry. You can make a difference by raising your voice.

Content spotlight

In the news

Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?
National Geographic logo
The environmental argument for banning menthol cigarettes
Photo with no alt text
How Cigarette Butts Are Our Ocean’s Biggest Pollution
Photo with no alt text
Microplastics have been found in air, water, food and now ... human blood
USA Today logo
Cigarette butts are toxic plastic pollution. Should they be banned?
National Geographic logo
Who Made that Cigarette Filter?
The New York Times logo
With Menthol Banned, Tobacco Makers Offer Products With ‘a Fresh New Twist’
The New York Times logo
  1. Novotny TE, Bialous SA, Hill K, et al. Tobacco Product Waste in California: A White Paper. Accessed April 10, 2023.
  2. Harris B. The intractable cigarette 'filter problem'. Tob Control. 2011;20 (suppl 1):i10-i16. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040113
  3. Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
  4. Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Sci Total Environ. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165
  5. Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
  6. Oliveri Conti G, Ferrante M, Banni M, et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environ Res. 2020;187:109677. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677
  7. Poma A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, et al. In vitro genotoxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles on the human fibroblast Hs27 cell line. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(9):1299. Published 2019 Sep 11. doi:10.3390/nano9091299
  8. Break Free From Plastic. Branded Vol. III: Demanding Corporate Accountability for Plastic Pollution. 2020. Accessed April 10, 2023.
  9. Kozlowski LT, O’Connor RJ. Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents. Tob Control. 2002;11(suppl 1):i40-i50. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.11.suppl_1.i40
  10. Ziv-Gal A, Flaws JA. Evidence for bisphenol A-induced female infertility: a review (2007-2016). Fertil Steril. 2016;106(4):827-856. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.027
  11. Wang Y-L, Lee Y-H, Chiu I-J, Lin Y-F, Chiu H-W. Potent impact of plastic nanomaterials and micromaterials on the food chain and human health. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(5):1727. doi: 10.3390/ijms21051727
  12. Novotny TE, Slaughter E. Tobacco product waste: an environmental approach to reduce tobacco consumption. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2014;1(3):208-216. Published 2014 May 6. doi:10.1007/s40572-014-0016-x
  13. Novotny T, Lum K, Smith E, Wang V, Barnes R. Cigarettes butts and the case for an environmental policy on hazardous cigarette waste. Int J Environ Public Health. 2009;6(5):1691-1705. doi:10.3390/ijerph6051691
  14. Podraza KD, Director. Basic Principles of Cigarette Design and Function. Accessed April 7, 2023.
  15. Zumbado M, Luzardo OP, Rodríguez-Hernández Á, Boada LD, Henríquez-Hernández LA. Differential exposure to 33 toxic elements through cigarette smoking, based on the type of tobacco and rolling paper used. Environ Res. 2019 Feb;169:368-376. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2018.11.021
  16. Rabinoff M, Caskey N, Rissling A, Park C. Pharmacological and chemical effects of cigarette additives. Am J Public Health. 2007 Nov;97(11):1981-91. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.078014
  17. Alpert HR, Agaku IT, Connolly GN. A study of pyrazines in cigarettes and how additives might be used to enhance tobacco addiction. Tob Control. 2016;25(4):444-450. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051943
  18. Prata JC. Airborne microplastics: consequences to human health? Environ Pollut. 2018;234:115-126. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043
  19. Choy CA, Robison BH, Gagne TO et al. The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Sci Rep. 2019;9:7843. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44117-2
  20. Rochman CM, Tahir A, Williams SL, et al. Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption. Sci Rep. 2015;5:14340. doi:10.1038/srep14340
  21. Zafeiridou M, Hopkinson NS, Voulvoulis N. Cigarette smoking: an assessment of tobacco’s global environmental footprint across its entire supply chain. Environ Sci Technol. 2018;52(15):8087-8094. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b01533
  22. Hendlin YH. E-cigarettes and a new threat: How to dispose of them [blog]. The Conversation. October 23, 2018. Accessed July 7, 2020.https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/e-cigarettes-and-new-threat-how-dispose-them
  23. Environmental Protection Agency (1980). CFR §261.33 Discarded commercial chemical products, off-specification species, container residues, and spill residues thereof.
  24. Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. 2022 Report: Connect + Collect. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2022. Accessed April 10, 2023.
  25. Marah M, Novotny TE. Geographic patterns of cigarette butt waste in the urban environment. Tob Control. 2011;20(Suppl 1):i42-i44. doi:10.1136/TC.2010.042424
  26. Berg CJ, Schleicher NC, Johnson TO, et al. Vape shop identification, density and place characteristics in six metropolitan areas across the US. Prev Med Reports. 2020;19. doi:10.1016/J.PMEDR.2020.101137
  27. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diseases and Death. Updated July 29, 2022. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/diseases-and-death.html
  28. Cigarette Filters, Tobacco Tactics, updated 19 July 2023, accessed 29 July 2024. https://tobaccotactics.org/article/cigarette-filters/#:~:text=More%20than%2090%25%20of%20cigarettes
  29. Kennedy P. Who Made That Cigarette Filter? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/magazine/who-made-that-cigarette-filter.html#:~:text=In%20the%201950s%2C%20an%20RJ. Published July 6, 2012. Accessed March 24, 2022.
  30. Evans-Reeves K, Lauber K, Hiscock R. The “filter fraud” persists: the tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment. Tobacco Control. Published online April 25, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056245
  31. DUNN,WL; JOHNSON,ME JR. MARKET POTENTIAL OF A HEALTH CIGARETTE SPECIAL REPORT NO. 248. 1966 June. Philip Morris Records; Master Settlement Agreement. Unknown.
  32. Wang Y-L, Lee Y-H, Chiu I-J, Lin Y-F, Chiu H-W. Potent Impact of Plastic Nanomaterials and Micromaterials on the Food Chain and Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020;21(5):1727. doi:10.3390/ijms21051727
  33. “The 5 Ways Tobacco Companies Lied about the Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes.” Truth Initiative,
  34. Industry Documents Library. www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu. Accessed April 4, 2023.
  35. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta. 2014
  36. Song M-A, Benowitz NL, Berman M, et al. Cigarette filter ventilation and its relationship to increasing rates of lung adenocarcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017;109(12). doi:10.1093/jnci/djx075
  37. WHITT DD. BEACH ANTI-LITTER PROGRAM. EXPANSION OF DAYTONA BEACH PROGRAM. RJ Reynolds Records; Master Settlement Agreement. 1991 May 06.
  38. “LITTER" (A PROPOSAL FOR TI POLICY). RJ Reynolds Records; Master Settlement Agreement. 1979 March 26.
  39. Smith EA, McDaniel PA. Covering their butts: responses to the cigarette litter problem. Tob Control. 2011;20(2):100. doi:10.1136/TC.2010.036491
  40. Home. World No Ashtray. Accessed March 23, 2022.
  41. Holm P. Ventilation Research – Overview by Types of Workplace: Philip Morris, 1998. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/uhv70b00 (accessed 14 Aug 2009)
  42. Environmental Newsletter No. 30 Environmental Issue Tracking – Asia Pacific Region: Philip Morris, 1999.
  43. Tidy Britain Group. [Attitudes Towards Cigarette Disposal Outdoors]. Philip Morris, 1996.
  44. RJ Reynolds International. RJRI News Report. Wednesday, December 04, 1996: RJ Reynolds, 1996.
  45. PM Corporate Affairs: Robinson & Maites litter program development scope-of-work: Philip Morris, 1997. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/bhm16c00 (accessed 14 Nov 2008).
  46. Corporate Affairs Gameplan: Philip Morris, 2002. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kir02c00 (accessed 2 Jul 2009).
  47. Stigler-Granados P, Fulton L, Nunez Patlan E, Terzyk M, Novotny TE. Global health perspectives on cigarette butts and the environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1858. Published 2019 May 26. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101858
  48. Smith EA, Novotny TE. Whose butt is it? tobacco industry research about smokers and cigarette butt waste. Tob Control. 2011;20(suppl 1):i2-i9. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040105
  49. Dewhirst T. Co-optation of harm reduction by Big Tobacco. Tob Control. 2021;30(e1):e1-e3. doi:10.1136/TOBACCOCONTROL-2020-056059
  50. World Health Organization. Microplastics in drinking-water. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.
  51. Pauly JL, Stegmeier SJ, Allaart HA, et al. Inhaled cellulosic and plastic fibers found in human lung tissue. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1998;7(5):419-428.
  52. Leslie HA, van Velzen MJM, Brandsma SH, Vethaak D, Garcia-Vallejo JJ, Lamoree MH. Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environ. Int.2022.
  53. Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool: A Prospective Case Series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(7):453-457. doi:10.7326/M19-0618
  54. Disparities in Point-of-Sale Advertising and Retailer Density – Counter Tobacco. countertobacco.org. Accessed April 7, 2023.
  55. Truth Initiative. Why tobacco is a racial justice issue. Published August 3, 2020. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/targeted-communities/why-tobacco-racial-justice-issue
  56. Yu D, Peterson NA, Sheffer MA, Reid RJ, Schnieder JE. Tobacco outlet density and demographics: Analysing the relationships with a spatial regression approach. Public Health. 2010;124(7):412-416. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2010.03.024
  57. Public Health Law Center. Tobacco Product Waste: A Public Health and Environmental Toolkit. Law and Policy Partnership to End the Commercial Tobacco Epidemic. Published April 2022.
  58. World Health Organization. Tobacco and its environmental impact: an overview. Geneva: World Health Organization;2017.
  59. United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic planet: How tiny plastic particles are polluting our soil. unep.org. December 22, 2021. Accessed March 24, 2022.
  60. Campanale C, Massarelli C, Savino I, Locaputo V, Uricchio VF. A detailed review study on potential effects of microplastics and additives of concern on human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(4):1212. Published 2020 Feb 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph17041212
  61. Hwang J, Choi D, Han S, Jung SY, Choi J, Hong J. Potential toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):7391. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64464-9
  62. Berg CJ, Schleicher NC, Johnson TO, Barker DC, Getachew B, Weber A, et al. Vape shop identification, density and place characteristics in six metropolitan areas across the US. Prev Med Rep. 2020 Sep 1;19:101137.
  63. Industry Documents Library. www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu. Accessed April 19, 2023.
  64. Hu X, Biswas A, Sharma A, et al. Mutational signatures associated with exposure to carcinogenic microplastic compounds bisphenol A and styrene oxide. NAR Cancer. 2021;3(1). doi:10.1093/narcan/zcab004
  65. Zhang C, Chen J, Ma S, Sun Z, Wang Z. Microplastics may be a significant cause of male infertility. Am J Mens Health. 2022;16(3):155798832210965. doi:10.1177/15579883221096549 ‌
  66. Hirt N, Body-Malapel M. Immunotoxicity and intestinal effects of nano- and microplastics: a review of the literature. Particle and Fibre Toxicology. 2020;17(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-020-00387-7
  67. Evans-Reeves, K., Lauber, K., & Hiscock, R. (2022). The “filter fraud” persists: The tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment. Tobacco Control, 31(e1). https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056245
  68. O’Connor, R. J., Bansal-Travers, M., Cummings, K. M., Hammond, D., Thrasher, J. F., & Tworek, C. (2015). Filter presence and tipping paper color influence consumer perceptions of cigarettes. BMC Public Health, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2643-z
  69. Slaughter, E., Gersberg, R. M., Watanabe, K., Rudolph, J., Stransky, C., & Novotny, T. E. (2011). Toxicity of cigarette butts, and their chemical components, to marine and freshwater fish. Tobacco Control, 20(1 SUPPL). https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.2010.040170
  70. Register, K. (2000). Cigarette Butts as Litter- Toxic as Well as Ugly? Underwater Naturalist, 25(2).
  71. Beutel, M. W., Harmon, T. C., Novotny, T. E., Mock, J., Gilmore, M. E., Hart, S. C., Traina, S., Duttagupta, S., Brooks, A., Jerde, C. L., Hoh, E., van de Werfhorst, L. C., Butsic, V., Wartenberg, A. C., & Holden, P. A. (2021). A review of environmental pollution from the use and disposal of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes: Contaminants, sources, and impacts. In Sustainability (Switzerland) (Vol. 13, Issue 23). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132312994
  72. Berg, C. J., Schleicher, N. C., Johnson, T. O., Barker, D. C., Getachew, B., Weber, A., Park, A. J., Patterson, A., Dorvil, S., Fairman, R. T., Meyers, C., & Henriksen, L. (2020). Vape shop identification, density and place characteristics in six metropolitan areas across the US. Preventive Medicine Reports, 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101137
  73. Jacob H, Besson M, Swarzenski PW, Lecchini D, Metian M. Effects of Virgin Micro- and Nanoplastics on Fish: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives. Environ Sci Technol. 2020;54(8):4733-4745. doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b05995
  74. Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. We Clean On, 2021 report. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2021.
  75. Moran, K.; Miller, E.; Mendez M.; Moore, S.; Gilbreath, A.; Sutton R.; Lin, D.. 2021. A Synthesis of Microplastic Sources and Pathways to Urban Runoff. SFEI Technical Report: SFEI Contribution # 1049. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA
  76. Fowles J, Barreau T, Wu N. Cancer and Non-Cancer Risk Concerns from Metals in Electronic Cigarette Liquids and Aerosols. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(6):2146. doi:10.3390/ijerph17062146.
  77. Hendlin YH. Alert: Public Health Implications of Electronic Cigarette Waste. Am J Public Health. 2018;108(11):1489-1490. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304699.
  78. Forster M. What Happens When You Throw Away E-Cigarettes? Waste Management Magazine. https://wasteadvantagemag.com/what-happens-when-you-throw-away-e-cigarettes/. Published November 21, 2018. Accessed July 8, 2020.View Source
  79. Kang DH, Chen M, Ogunseitan OA. Potential environmental and human health impacts of rechargeable lithium batteries in electronic waste. Environ Sci Technol. 2013;47(10):5495-5503. doi:10.1021/es400614y.
  80. Truth Initiative. Tobacco and the Environment; 2023 https://truthinitiative.org/sites/default/files/media/files/2023/04/Truth_Environment%20FactSheet%20Update%202023_v3_FINAL.pdf
  81. Truth Initiative. Most young users put disposable e-cigarettes in trash, creating huge streams of toxic and hazardous waste, as companies fail to take responsibility. Published December 15, 2022. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/most-young-users-put-disposable-e-cigarettes-trash
  82. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What is the most commonly found ocean litter? oceanservice.noaa.gov. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/most-common-ocean-litter.html. Published October 22, 2018. Accessed July 8, 2021.
  83. American Lung Association. Tobacco Facts 2024. Updated January 19, 2024. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://www.lung.org/research/sotc/facts#:~:text=Smoking%20is%20the%20number%20one,in%20the%20U.S.%20each%20year.