Cigarette smoke tracers: gas chromatographic analysis of decachlorobiphenyl.

Abstract

Decachlorobiphenyl in microgram quantities was used as a tracer for estimating the deposition of total particulate matter of cigarette smoke in the airways of laboratory animals. This compound, because of its lack of transfer to the pulmonary circulation, is useful as a tracer of total smoke exposure. On the contrary, because of its rapid transfer to the blood, dichlorobenzophenone is best used as a tracer for estimating deposition of smoke in non-respiring airways and the study of clearance by mucociliary transport.