Toxicants Released from Cigarette Butt and Other Tobacco and Nicotine Product Waste and Their Ecotoxicological Impact: A Systematic Review with One Health Perspectives

Abstract

Cigarette butt waste is a widespread form of tobacco-related litter and an increasingly recognized source of environmental contamination. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the environmental impacts of cigarette butts and other tobacco and nicotine product waste, including contaminant release, plastic-derived particle generation, affected environmental matrices, ecotoxicological effects, dose–effect relationships, and ecological and human health risk assessment within a One Health framework. Following PRISMA guidelines and PROSPERO registration, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched. Forty-seven studies were included. Cigarette butts and related waste were found to release diverse contaminants, including metals, nicotine, PAHs, VOCs, BTEX, pesticides, phenolic compounds, aromatic amines, and cellulose-acetate-derived micro- and nanoplastics. Nicotine emerged as a prominent contaminant, with rapid release and high modelled ecological risk reported in some studies. Freshwater and marine environments were most frequently investigated, while soils, urban environments, stormwater systems, landfills, and waste-management pathways were also represented. Experimental studies reported mortality, growth inhibition, oxidative stress, reproductive and developmental impairment, genotoxicity, metabolic and behavioral alterations, and community-level effects. Evidence on emerging nicotine product waste remained limited and was constrained by differences in product design, terminology, characterization, and experimental scenarios. Overall, these wastes represent hybrid chemical–particulate environmental stressors, although their substantial heterogeneity limits broader generalization.