Effects of tobacco blends on puff-by-puff benzo[a]pyrene yields in mainstream cigarette smoke by GC-MS method

Abstract

In order to investigate the relationship between B[a]P puff-by-puff yields in mainstream cigarette smoke and tobacco blends, we designed and prepared tobacco samples with various tobacco types and different blending ratios. A RM20H smoking machine coupled with a puff-by-puff analysis unit (using Cambridge filter pads) was used to capture the particular matter, and a GC-MS method was applied to achieve the quantitative analysis of B[a]P yields in each puff. The results showed that tobacco types had a greater impact on B[a]P overall yields than the cigarette blending. In the initial seven puffs, cigarette samples with a higher ratio of flue-cured tobacco had a higher yield of B[a]P per puff. In the last puff, expanded, stems and reconstituted tobacco with a balanced ratio, while there is a higher ratio of cut tobacco, had higher B[a]P yields. Higher ratios of flue-cured and oriental tobacco had a higher puff-by-puff B[a]P yield. There was a strong linear relationship between B[a]P's per puff yields with increasing puff numbers in various tobacco formula samples (1-8 puffs), with a correlation coefficient (R) ranging from 0.789 to 0.998. In conclusion, increasing the portion of expanded and burley tobacco while reducing cut and flue-cured tobacco could effectively reduce the total yields of B[a]P in cigarette and B[a]P's puff-by-puff yields increased linearly with the increasing puff number.