Determination of gas phase nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine,and particulate phase nicotine in environmental tobacco smoke with a collection bed – capillary gas chromatography system

A combined sampling and analysis technique for the determination of gas phase nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine, and of particulate phase nicotine in environmental tobacco smoke with capillary gas chromatography is reported. The major advantage of the technique is that all of the collected particulate phase material is analyzed by thermal desorption of the collected material rather than by analysis of only a fraction of the sample extracted from the collection medium. A Teflon filter microtube is used to collect particulate phase nicotine. This microtube is follwed by a small Tenax sorbent bed to collect gas phase nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine. After sampling, the Teflon filter is transferred to a clean glass tube and the tube becomes an insert for a modified packed column injector port where the material collected on the filter is heat desorbed to a cold capillary tubing trap. Gas phase nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine are also transferred from the Tenax to the GC column by thermal desorption from the Tenax sorbent bed. Gas phase nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine, and particulate phase nicotine are each determined by GC analysis of the desorbed material. Nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine are quantitated by the use of external standards. This technique is straightforward and can be used for semi-real time determination of both gas and particulate phase compounds in environmental tobacco smoke. The results obtained by this technique compare well with those obtained by sampling with annular diffusion denuders.