John Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Food For Thought... Cigarette butts toxic to fish, say researchers CBC News Cigarette butts are toxic to fish and should be labeled as toxic hazardous waste, U.S. researchers say. Scientists at San Diego State University say that a single cigarette butt containing a small amount of unburnt tobacco is enough to contaminate a litre of water and kill half of the fish swimming in it. "Based on this new research, we believe that cigarettes should be considered toxic waste and new requirements need to be established for how they are disposed," Tom Novotny, a public health professor at San Diego State University, said in a statement. The researchers tested the toxicity of the tobacco on fresh and saltwater fish: fathead minnows and top smelt - two species that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency typically uses in pollution studies. The cigarette butts were left soaking in the water for a day before fish were placed in it for testing. Whole cigarettes and cigarette butts with unburnt tobacco were found to be the most toxic, but even filters that had been smoked and that had no tobacco left on them were found to be toxic. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose-acetate, which does not biodegrade. The researchers presented their conclusion at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in Philadelphia earlier this month, and have submitted their study for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Cigarette butts are considered the most littered item in the world. Novotny recently estimated that 767 million kilograms of cigarette butts - or about 4.5 trillion butts - end up as litter every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchslayer666 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Food For Thought... Cigarette butts toxic to fish, say researchers CBC News Cigarette butts are toxic to fish and should be labeled as toxic hazardous waste, U.S. researchers say. Scientists at San Diego State University say that a single cigarette butt containing a small amount of unburnt tobacco is enough to contaminate a litre of water and kill half of the fish swimming in it. "Based on this new research, we believe that cigarettes should be considered toxic waste and new requirements need to be established for how they are disposed," Tom Novotny, a public health professor at San Diego State University, said in a statement. The researchers tested the toxicity of the tobacco on fresh and saltwater fish: fathead minnows and top smelt - two species that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency typically uses in pollution studies. The cigarette butts were left soaking in the water for a day before fish were placed in it for testing. Whole cigarettes and cigarette butts with unburnt tobacco were found to be the most toxic, but even filters that had been smoked and that had no tobacco left on them were found to be toxic. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose-acetate, which does not biodegrade. The researchers presented their conclusion at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in Philadelphia earlier this month, and have submitted their study for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Cigarette butts are considered the most littered item in the world. Novotny recently estimated that 767 million kilograms of cigarette butts - or about 4.5 trillion butts - end up as litter every year Does that explain why salmon like them so much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'mHooked Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Aren't cigarettes bad for ANY living creature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 How do they keep them lit underwater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 So half the fish swimming in a liter of water died. That's not that much water. Not saying the butts aren't bad but i have trouble keeping minnows alive in a bucket of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishinguypat Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 yeah some one told me to use em on salmon and i didn't catch nothing, well i shouldn't say nothing ....welll i did catch a human sucking on it....i didn't catch a salmon though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smally21 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 How do they keep them lit underwater? you beat me to it. if i can't catch the pricks i'll poison em one butt at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 So half the fish swimming in a liter of water died. That's not that much water. Not saying the butts aren't bad but i have trouble keeping minnows alive in a bucket of water. How many half fishes can swim in a litre of water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitespinnerbait Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 How many half fishes can swim in a litre of water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laszlo Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 i don't smoke myself. quit 7 years ago. I do have a friend that keeps his buts in a zip lock when we fish and puts them in the garbage after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuskyBill Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 I smoke like a chimney, but throwing butts in the lake is one of the most disgusting things anyone can do. I always used to carry an empty bottle so I could keep the lid on too. This year I bought one of those ashtrays with the funny lid, like a minnow trap. Worked very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thorpe Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 (edited) along with the sewage and septic seeping filled fish we eat Lets not talk about the medical waste thats dumped in also http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....en-in-waterways http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/csl/inf/inf058_e.html Have fun researching what we are doing to our waters,its not just 1 thing is a compilation of everything http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&am...=Send#resulttop Edited November 21, 2009 by marc thorpe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radnine Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 i don't smoke myself. quit 7 years ago.I do have a friend that keeps his buts in a zip lock when we fish and puts them in the garbage after. I smoke like a chimney, but throwing butts in the lake is one of the most disgusting things anyone can do. I always used to carry an empty bottle so I could keep the lid on too. This year I bought one of those ashtrays with the funny lid, like a minnow trap. Worked very well. Kudos to your friend Laszlo and you MuskyBill. I don't know how many cigarette butts you would actually have to throw in a lake before it caused any damage, but I know that it looks bloody awful. One of my B-in-Laws smokes and fishing with him on a still day ends up feeling like you're fishing in an ashtray. Saves me throwing out markers though. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiel Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 Doh, this reminds me I have a vest pocket full butts from a day on the river earlier in the week. Best get them out of the vest and into the trash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 Old news. We knew this some 30 years back Used to be the norm to get, or give, a swift smack across the back of the head for being so rude as to dump cig butts in the water. I hated when it was my turn to clean out the bottom of the boat (yeeechhhh!) back when I smoked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdylan Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 I have never thrown my butts in the water either even as a smoker it's pretty obvious they don't belong in there. I always clean up after myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'mHooked Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 Pick any city along a body of water. Guess where the road runoff goes? Storm sewers are directly dumped into most bodies of water without any treatment. So all those butts on the road or side walk eventually get washed down to the lakes. You shouldn't have be standing with a pole in your hand (fishing or other) on the shore or in a boat to be conscious of where the butts end up! It's why Trout Unlimited has had campaigns of painting yellow fish on the road in front storm sewers in various communities. That little Yellow painted Trout actually makes me think every time I wash my car for instance. Instead of just dumping the wash bucket on the driveway to end up in the sewer, it gets dumped at least in an area of the lawn where the ground/soil can act as a filter for the phosphorus and other contaminants, instead of a direct path to the lake. It may seem like a trivial effort to some, but at least it is an effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 It's why Trout Unlimited has had campaigns of painting yellow fish on the road in front storm sewers in various communities. That little Yellow painted Trout actually makes me think every time I wash my car for instance. Instead of just dumping the wash bucket on the driveway to end up in the sewer, it gets dumped at least in an area of the lawn where the ground/soil can act as a filter for the phosphorus and other contaminants, instead of a direct path to the lake. It may seem like a trivial effort to some, but at least it is an effort. You wash your car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'mHooked Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 You wash your car? I know. I may not smoke, but that car washing sure is a filthy habit the 4-5 times a year it happens! It's not like I'm one of those every weekend diehards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 I know. I may not smoke, but that car washing sure is a filthy habit the 4-5 times a year it happens! It's not like I'm one of those every weekend diehards! I've never washed the car. Cuts into fishing time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappieperchhunter Posted November 22, 2009 Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 I've never washed the car. Cuts into fishing time My 2002 VW has Never been washed..ever. Buy a silver car...problem solved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted November 22, 2009 Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 I took my car in for a fall maintenance deal the other day. When I picked it up it was washed.....the first thing I did was go offroading..... lol. I hate a clean car. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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