Analytical study of cigarette smoke enriched in benzo[a]pyrene for use in model animal studies

Abstract

Cigarette smoke has been significantly enriched in benzo[ a]pyrene (BAP) by injecting 200 μl of a cyclohexane solution, containing a total of 40 μg of BAP, into a cigarette. After injection, the cigarette is conditioned and smoked according to standard protocol. When the cigarette smoke condensate is analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy, liquid scintillation counting, gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, it is found that the level of BAP has increased by 1000 times with respect to levels reported for unenriched cigarette smoke. No chemical transformation of the BAP has been detected, and the BAP-enriched fraction does not appear to be perturbed to a detectable degree. Approximately 28% of the BAP is measured in the mainstream smoke, 46–48% in the sidestream smoke from the burning end of the cigarette, and 7% in the butt and ash. Correcting for analytical losses, about 10% appears to escape in the gaseous state. This material may prove suitable for model animal studies.