Multielement determination in a Chinese cigarette brand

A cigarette brand manufactured in the Republic of China was analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the concentration of 27 elements in cigarette tobacco, cigarette wrapping paper, cigarette filter before and after smoking and in the dropped ash. The results were compared to the literature values for American and other international cigarette brands.     

Multielement determination in tobacco leaves by photon activation analysis

A nondestructive photon activation procedure with 30 MeV bremsstrahlung followed by high-resolution gamma-spectrometry has been applied to the multielement determination in tobacco leaves and commercial cigarettes. The elements determined by this method included essential minor elements such as Ca, Cl, K and Mg, essential trace elements such as Fe, Mn and Zn, and possibly toxic elements such As and Sb. The NBS Orchard Leaves could successfully be used as a comparative standard. The method is quite simple and gives good reproducible results for at least 12 elements.     

Determination of trace and minor elements in Mexican cigarette wrapping paper

The concentration of 14 elements in cigarette wrapping papers used in manufacturing 21 different Mexican cigarette brands was measured using instrumental thermal neutron activation analysis. These elements are As, Ba, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th and Zn. The concentration of the elements was compared with the reported concentration in similar studies for elemental content in Pakistani, American, Chinese, Egyptian, Jordanian and Iranian cigarette wrapping papers.     

Major- and trace-element distribution in cigarette tobacco,ash and filters

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - To evidence the efficiency of cigarette filter we have determined the content of 27 major and trace elements in two brands of filter and...     

Radioactivity levels in jurak and moasel,comparison with cigarette tobacco

Jurak and moasel are tobacco products that contain, in addition to tobacco, juice of sugar cane, fruits, spices, tar and nicotine. These products are smoked by hubble-bubble, a popular smoking habit in the Middle Eastern and North African countries. Charcoal is put directly on these products during smoking and the smoke passes through water for cooling purpose before it goes to the lung, without filtering. Radioactivity levels were measured in these products, tobacco leaves, charcoal and in cigarette tobacco of most well known brand names by gamma spectrometry system consisting of HPGe detector coupled to a PC-based 8192 channel multichannel analyzer. The average²²⁶Ra concentrations in jurak, moasel, tobacco leaves, charcoal and cigarette tobacco in Bq/kg were: 3.4, 1.8, 3.2, 2.9 and 7 respectively; that of²³²Th were: 3.8, 2.6, 3.5, 2.2 and 7.8 respectively; that of⁴⁰K were 620, 445, 511, 163 and 876 respectively. It is expected that a jurak smoker inhales 10 times the radioactivity and a moasel smoker twice that compared to a 25 cigarette/d smoker.     

Determination of trace elements in Brazilian cigarette tobacco by neutron activation analysis

The determination of 14 trace elements /Ba, Ce, Co, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Tb and Th/ has been carried out in three different brands of Brazilian cigarettes. The samples and standards were irradiated for 8 h at a thermal neutron flux of approx. 5×10¹² n cm^–2s^–1. After the irradiation, the -rays activity was measured on a Ge/Li/ detector coupled with a 4096-channel pulse height analyzer. The results were compared with those obtained for the tobacco from American, Iranian, Turkish, Pakistan and Yugoslavian cigarettes. The amount of each element transferred to the ashes was determined.     

Determination of trace elements in Iranian cigarette tobacco by neutron activation analysis

The concentration of 24 trace elements in the tobacco of two different brands of Iranian cigarettes, “Zarrin” and “Oshnoo”, has been measured by neutron activation analysis employing a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector. These elements are: Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, Ag, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Hf, Au, Hg and Th.     

Multielement analysis in stripping voltammetry

An original software that allows different versions of stripping voltammetry to be used in domestic Khan-2 and VA-03 computer-controlled analyzers is tested. An increase in the number of metal ions to be determined in a sample by stripping voltammetry to five or more components is exemplified by the determination of the components of the Cd(II)-Pb(II)-Cu(II) model system in the proposed supporting electrolyte (NH₄Cl, pH 2–4) at a gradiently formed mercury-graphite electrode. These conditions provide the stability of a droplet mercury coating of the electrode, a change in the potentials of the group deposition of the components, and the optimization of the analytical signals. The analytical potential of the specified approaches are estimated by determining the number of components in the control and real-water samples using different methods.     

Multielement determination in wheat and bran

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed to measure 26 elements in three wheat varieties and in bran retained on U.S. standard sieve#e40. It was observed that the mineral content of bran was much higher than whole wheat and more than 90% of the elemental content was retained in the bran. The concentrations of As, Ce, Cr, Cs, Eu, Hf, Hg, La, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th and V in whole wheat and bran were below the detection limit.     

Multielement determination in Tillandsia by INAA

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed to measure 43 elements, including some macroconstituents, in the leaves of some species of the epiphytic genusTillandsia (Bromeliaceae). The results, confirming the oligotrophyc nature of the genus, are briefly discussed with regard to a possible role as multielemental environmental monitors.     

Quantitative analysis of acetates in cigarette tobacco using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method incorporating solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the headspace analysis of selected volatile organic compounds present in cigarette tobacco is developed and evaluated. Quantitative information on methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, isopropenyl, vinyl, and butyl acetates present in 29 different flavor variants (full, light, and ultra-light) of the top ten selling brands in the United States is presented. The concentrations of the various acetate analytes range from the low nanaogram to microgram levels per cigarette. Clear differences are observed in the concentrations of various acetates when comparing the levels in brands from different manufacturers. The SPME technique provides a method that allows high sample throughput, requires little sample preparation, and yields useful analytical information. High precision is obtained on multiple measurements of cigarettes from an individual pack, but lower precision levels are observed in general when comparing results obtained on the analysis of cigarettes from different packs of the same brand. The higher pack-to-pack variations may be due in part to product aging with a proportionate amount of evaporative loss of the relatively volatile acetates.     

A feasibility study on oxidation state of arsenic in cut tobacco,mainstream cigarette smoke and cigarette ash by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

This work describes the application of synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure spectroscopy to study the oxidation state of arsenic in cigarette mainstream smoke, cut tobacco and cigarette ash. The level of arsenic in the total particulate matter of the smoke is approximately 1 ppm for the standard research reference cigarette 2R4F and its replacement 3R4F. Smoke particulate samples collected by a conventional glass-fiber membrane (commercially known as Cambridge filter pad) and a jet-impaction method were analyzed and compared. In addition smoke particulate samples were aged either at ambient temperature or at 195 K. X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure spectroscopy results revealed that the cut tobacco powder and cigarette ash contained almost exclusively As^V. The smoke particulate samples however contained a mixture of As^III and As^V. The As^V in the smoke particulate was reduced to As^III upon aging. Stabilizing the smoke particulate matter at 195 K by solid CO₂ slowed down this aging reaction and revealed a higher percentage of As^V. This behavior is consistent with the redox properties of the arsenic species and the smoke particulate matrix.     

Pyrolysis and combustion of tobacco in a cigarette smoking simulator under air and nitrogen atmosphere

A coupling between a cigarette smoking simulator and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer was constructed to allow investigation of tobacco smoke formation under simulated burning conditions. The cigarette smoking simulator is designed to burn a sample in close approximation to the conditions experienced by a lit cigarette. The apparatus also permits conditions outside those of normal cigarette burning to be investigated for mechanistic understanding purposes. It allows control of parameters such as smouldering and puff temperatures, as well as combustion rate and puffing volume. In this study, the system enabled examination of the effects of “smoking” a cigarette under a nitrogen atmosphere. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with a soft ionisation technique is expedient to analyse complex mixtures such as tobacco smoke with a high time resolution. The objective of the study was to separate pyrolysis from combustion processes to reveal the formation mechanism of several selected toxicants. A purposely designed adapter, with no measurable dead volume or memory effects, enables the analysis of pyrolysis and combustion gases from tobacco and tobacco products (e.g. 3R4F reference cigarette) with minimum aging. The combined system demonstrates clear distinctions between smoke composition found under air and nitrogen smoking atmospheres based on the corresponding mass spectra and visualisations using principal component analysis.     

Multielement standards in routine reactor neutron activation analysis

The application of multielement standards (MES) in routine neutron activation analysis brings a whole range of advantages. This paper deals with the experience obtained during many years of application of these MES. Nine of these MES contain a total of 50 elements in suitable combinations and concentrations; thus, the determination of most of the common elements by NAA can be carried out simultaneously. This refers to the following elements: Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, Te, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, W, Re, Au, Hg, Th and U. For the determination of the remaining elements such as Zr, Ta, Ir etc., single element standards (SES) are used.     

Fast analysis of nicotine related alkaloids in tobacco and cigarette smoke by megabore capillary gas chromatography

A novel fast megabore capillary gas chromatographic (MCGC) method for analysis of 7 nicotine related alkaloids in tobacco and cigarette smoke, including nicotine, nornicotine, myosmine, nicotyrine, anabasine, anatabine and 2,3-dipyridyl, was developed. The use of megabore capillary column GC methodology, equipped with flame ionization detector (FID), provided rapid, unambiguous nicotine related alkaloids analysis. One gram flue-cured tobacco (or Cambridge filter pad), 20 ml ether, and 5 ml 10% sodium hydroxide solution, added with n-heptadecane as the internal standard, were placed in a flask, and the flask was capped and placed in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min. A 1 microl volume was analyzed by capillary GC operating in split-injection mode on a mega bore Simplicity-5 column. This simple procedure was compared with the previously reported packed column GC method and the Griffith still-colorimetric method. The application of the method for analysis of various flue-cured tobaccos and cigarette smoke was discussed.     

The pyrolysis of non-volatile tobacco ingredients using a system that simulates cigarette combustion conditions

This is the second part of a systematic study in which tobacco ingredients are pyrolysed using experimental conditions designed to simulate the average combustion conditions inside a burning cigarette. In the first part, the pyrolysis system was developed and single-substance, mostly semi-volatile tobacco ingredients were pyrolysed. It was predicted that on a cigarette, the majority of these semi-volatile ingredients would transfer to smoke with little pyrolysis.In this part of the study, a further 159 non-volatile and complex ingredients, as well as ingredient mixtures, have been pyrolysed and the pyrolysis products determined using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometric system coupled to the pyrolyser. These non-volatile tobacco ingredients generally decomposed completely in the pyrolysis system, often yielding many products in relatively small amounts. The study has concentrated on the biologically active substances produced by pyrolysis, in particular the “Hoffmann analytes”. These analytes are believed by regulatory authorities in Canada and U.S.A. to be relevant to smoking-related diseases. They are based on lists published by Hoffmann and co-workers of the American Health Foundation in New York. For the pyrolysis of many of the non-volatile ingredients, no “Hoffmann analytes” were detected amongst the products. When they were occasionally formed, they included phenols, benzene, toluene, styrene and furfural (furfural is biologically active but it does not appear on any of the Hoffmann or regulatory authority lists). Those ingredients that did yield such products generally produced them in relatively small quantities although furfural was produced in relatively large quantities by pyrolysis of some ingredients, especially sugars. Those ingredients that produced biologically active constituents during their pyrolysis have been further assessed. This was done by adding them to cigarettes, machine-smoking the cigarette and comparing their smoke yields to those from a control (no ingredient) cigarette. From this comparison, it was found that in general the ingredients added to cigarettes do not increase the smoke components relative to the control cigarette. The pyrolysis technique of the present study tends to over-predict the amount of decomposition that the non-volatile ingredients undergo relative to their behaviour in a burning cigarette. Several examples are discussed, in particular ingredients that produce furfural during pyrolysis.This general pyrolysis technique is thus a first step in the total toxicological assessment of tobacco ingredients and is a useful screening tool for indicating which ingredients may yield biologically active products during decomposition of the ingredients. There are, however, some products such as formaldehyde and the carbon oxides that are not detected by the pyrolyser-gas chromatography–mass spectrometric technique employed here. The generation and detection of these products during the pyrolysis of selected tobacco ingredients is the subject of a parallel paper.     

Determination of trace element concentrations of indian cigarette tobacco by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Lung cancer and smoking are associated. Epidemiological studies show that not only lung cancer but other chest diseases have causative relationship with smoking. Cigarette tobacco and smoke contains many carcinogens. Inorganic and metallic constituents of cigarette tobacco and smoke have not been studied as extensively as the organic compounds. Since some of the metals are highly toxic and also carcinogenic, authors have attempted to measure the levels of some of the trace elements of Indian tobacco by instrumental neutron activation analysis, and compared the results with the tobacco of America, Germany, Iran and New Zealand.     

Characterization of Indian cigarette tobacco and its smoke aerosol by nuclear and allied techniques

Forty brands of tobacco used in Indian cigarettes, 20 brands of bidis (tobacco rolled in wrapper leaves), 15 brands of chewing tobacco and 15 brands of snuff tobacco were analyzed by nuclear and allied techniques. The elements measured into tobacco can be grouped into seven categories from less than 1 ppm to 5% by weight. Concentration level varied from 0.5-5% for (Ca, K, Cl), 400-1500 ppm (Fe), 200-600 ppm (Na), 100-300 ppm (Ti, Mn, Br and Sr), 10-100 ppm (Cu, Zn and Rb), 1-10 ppm (Cr, Ni, Pb and La) and less than 1 ppm (As, Co, Cd, Sb, Hg and Eu). Among the above elements Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Pb, Hg and Sb are considered toxic. The percentage transfer of the elements from cigarette tobacco to smoke particles during smoking was also estimated using a smoking machine and collecting the smoke particles on a filter paper. The results show that Br, Cr, Sb and Zn have high percentage transfer from tobacco to its smoke of the order of 2-15%. Out of these Sb has the highest 15%. Cobalt, Fe and Sc have lowest percentage of transfer of the order of less than 1%. The percent transfer of these elements from tobacco to tobacco smoke is higher in case of bidis (1.5-3.0 times) as compared to cigarettes. In cigarettes also non-filter cigarettes have higher transfer (2-3 times) as compared to filter tip cigarettes.