The Systematic Review of Environmental Pollutants in the Indoor Air of Waterpipe Café

Waterpipe use has grown significantly in recent years. Hookah use has been shown to be associated with various human health problems such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. The aim of this review study was to investigate the pollutants in the indoor air of waterpipe cafes. An automated literature search was conducted to identify any relevant studies published up to February ۲۰۲۲. For this search, international digital databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus) were chosen. Multiple keywords were used in the systematic literature review, including “hookah” OR “waterpipe” OR “hubble-bubble” OR “narghile” OR “shisha” AND “café” AND “indoor air.” After removing duplicate papers and analyzing titles, abstracts, and full texts, ۲۵ studies remained for analysis and interpretation. Particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), BTEX compounds, carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, aldehydes, and bioaerosols were found to be the most prevalent and challenging contaminants in the indoor air of waterpipe cafes. Because of the growing popularity of waterpipe use in cafes, particularly among young people and teenagers, and the high concentration of pollutants in this area, as well as the long-term presence of individuals in these areas, it is necessary for officials to adopt restrictive laws in these places.