Avaliação dos Impactos Ambientais das Bitucas de Cigarro

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for environmentally friendly solutions has increased as awareness of environmental impacts has grown. With this rising environmental consciousness, it becomes essential to assess the impacts of common everyday waste, such as cigarette butts, one of the most widespread forms of personal litter. This study conducts a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) focused on the cigarette filter, which is composed of cellulose acetate, aiming to quantify the environmental impacts associated with its production and disposal. Based on experimental and bibliographic data, and using the SimaPro software, the life cycle of the filter was analyzed considering one pack of 14 cigarettes as the functional unit. The Ecoinvent database was used to model the inventory, and the impacts were assessed according to the 18 categories of the ReCiPe Midpoint H method in SimaPro. The results indicate that acetic anhydride, a reagent used in the production of cellulose acetate, is the main contributor to the impacts, especially in the categories of aquatic ecotoxicity, ionizing radiation, human toxicity, and mineral resource scarcity. The research highlights the importance of discussing the environmental impact of cigarettes beyond human health, broadening the debate to include pollution and improper waste disposal.