Evaluation of an online, real-time, soft-photon ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometer for mainstream tobacco smoke analysis.

Mainstream tobacco smoke is a complex and dynamic aerosol, consisting of particulate and vapour phases. Most approaches to determine mainstream smoke toxicant yields are based on offline techniques that limit the opportunity to observe in real time the processes leading to smoke formation. The recent development of online real-time analytical methods offers many advantages over traditional techniques.