Multi-year Study of PAHs in Mainstream Cigarette Smoke.

Objectives: Correlations are made between mainstream cigarette smoke deliveries of individual PAHs over multiple years. Average overall PAH deliveries in mainstream cigarette smoke by study year, mentholation, ring size, and manufacturer are compared.

Methods: Mainstream smoke deliveries were determined by GC/MS for 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from selected cigarettes on the US market in 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2011.

The use of charcoal in modified cigarette filters for mainstream smoke carbonyl reduction.

Carbonyls are harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in mainstream cigarette smoke (MSS). Carbonyls, including formaldehyde and acrolein, are carcinogenic or mutagenic in a dose-dependent manner. Past studies demonstrate significant reduction of HPHCs by charcoal filtration.

Chemical Characterization of Mainstream Smoke from SPECTRUM Variable Nicotine Research Cigarettes.

Objective: Our objective was to characterize mainstream smoke constituent deliveries from SPECTRUM variable nicotine research cigarettes under 2 machine smoking regimens. SPECTRUM cigarettes are manufactured by the 22nd Century company for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health to contain varying (including reduced) levels of nicotine.

Methods: Mainstream smoke constituent deliveries of "tar," nicotine, carbon monoxide, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)), benzo[a]pyrene, aromatic amines, and carbonyls were analyzed in 23 varieties of SPECTRUM cigarettes using ISO 17025 accredited methods.

Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines in the Tobacco and Mainstream Smoke of U.S. Commercial Cigarettes.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are N-nitroso-derivatives of pyridine-alkaloids (e.g., nicotine) present in tobacco and cigarette smoke.

In Situ Derivatization and Quantification of Seven Carbonyls in Cigarette Mainstream Smoke.

Carbonyls, especially aldehydes, are a group of harmful volatile organic compounds that are found in tobacco smoke. Seven carbonyls are listed on the FDA's harmful and potential harmful constituents list for tobacco or tobacco smoke. Carbonyls have reactive functional groups and thus are challenging to quantitatively measure in cigarette smoke.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Mainstream Smoke of Popular U.S. Cigarettes.

The mainstream smoke yields of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined for 50 commercial U.S. cigarettes using a validated GC/MS method with the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and Canadian Intense (CI) smoking machine regimens.

Mouth-level intake of benzo[a]pyrene from reduced nicotine cigarettes.

Cigarette smoke is a known source of exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Exposure to BaP in cigarette smoke is influenced by how a person smokes and factors, such as tobacco blend. To determine whether sustained use of reduced-nicotine cigarettes is associated with changes in exposure to nicotine and BaP, levels of BaP in spent cigarette filter butts were correlated with levels of BaP in cigarette smoke to estimate mouth-level intake (MLI) of BaP for 72 daily smokers given three progressively reduced nicotine content cigarettes.

Chemical analysis of Alaskan Iq'mik smokeless tobacco.

Introduction: Iq'mik, a form of smokeless tobacco (ST), is traditionally used by Cup'ik and Yup'ik Eskimo people of western Alaska. Iq'mik is sometimes incorrectly considered to be a healthier alternative to smoking because its ingredients are perceived as "natural." Our chemical characterization of iq'mik shows that iq'mik is not a safe alternative to smoking or other ST use.

Development of a method to estimate mouth-level benzo[a]pyrene intake by filter analysis.

Background: Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most potent carcinogens generated in cigarette smoke. During smoking, cigarette filters trap a significant portion of mainstream smoke benzo[a]pyrene. This trapped portion is proportional to what exits the end of the filter and is drawn into the mouth of smokers.

Semi-volatiles in mainstream smoke delivery from select charcoal-filtered cigarette brand variants.

Background: It has been reported that charcoal added to cigarette filters selectively removes many of the more volatile chemicals, but it is not clear to what extent charcoal may reduce the delivery of important less volatile chemical constituents in mainstream cigarette smoke.

Methods: We analysed machine-derived mainstream smoke deliveries (under three smoking regimens) for variants of a charcoal-filtered cigarette commercially test-marketed in the USA, focusing on selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs).

Results: While charcoal-containing filters selectively removed lower molecular weight PAHs from mainstream smoke, they did not significantly remove the heavier and more toxic PAHs studied, such as benzo[a]pyrene, a known carcinogen.

Simultaneous determination of six mercapturic acid metabolites of volatile organic compounds in human urine.

The widespread exposure to potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) merits the development of practical and accurate exposure assessment methods. Measuring the urinary concentrations of VOC mercapturic acid (MA) metabolites provides noninvasive and selective information about recent exposure to certain VOCs. We developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying urinary levels of six MAs: N-acetyl-S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine (CEMA), N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine (HPMA), N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-L-cysteine (MHBMA), N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine (DHBMA), N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (HEMA), and N-acetyl-S-(phenyl)-L-cysteine (PMA).

Levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mainstream smoke from different tobacco varieties.

It has been estimated that one in every five cancer deaths worldwide are related to tobacco use. According to the IARC, 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and 8 tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), as well as at least 45 other compounds or substances found in tobacco smoke, are potential human carcinogens. The levels of these carcinogens in contents of tobacco and smoke emissions vary between different tobacco products.

Determination of 10 carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mainstream cigarette smoke.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one class of chemical compounds that (1) are present at low to trace levels in unburned cigarette filler, and (2) are predominantly generated during combustion. According to a recent report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, 10 carcinogenic PAHs together with 53 other known carcinogens are present in cigarette smoke. Accurate quantification of these chemicals helps assess public health risk to both smokers and nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

Determination of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mainstream smoke from U.S. brand and non-U.S. brand cigarettes.

Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemical compounds, including many carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To determine the concentration ranges of PAHs in tobacco smoke and to understand what factors alter their levels, we quantitatively measured 14 PAHs in mainstream smoke from a transnational U.S.

Determination of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mainstream smoke from domestic cigarettes.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of environmental pollutants created primarily from incomplete combustion of various organic materials including tobacco. Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of various classes of compounds, including numerous PAHs, in both the mainstream and the sidestream smoke fractions. We measured the levels of 14 PAHs in mainstream smoke from unfiltered custom cigarettes made from individual tobacco types and 30 brands of domestic blended cigarettes using standardized smoking conditions, extraction from the Cambridge filter pads, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.