Cigarette smoke has an extremely complex chemical composition and contains numerous harmful and toxic substances which can cause a broad variety of adverse health effects and disease. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds, consisting of two or more fused benzenoid rings, which are present in cigarette smoke and are known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Because greater than 500 distinct PAHs may be present in cigarette smoke, using a single representative compound for this chemical class could be beneficial for understanding the relative total amounts of PAHs produced during combustion. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is the most potent carcinogen among the PAHs, and is listed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Accordingly, BaP is the most studied PAH in cigarette smoke and is often used as a surrogate for all PAHs. For example, if the BaP yield is higher in the smoke from one cigarette than in the yields from other cigarettes, then it is expected that the total PAH yield in the cigarette is also higher than that in the other cigarettes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified 16 PAHs, including BaP, as harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in tobacco products and tobacco smoke in accordance with § 904(e) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Using a validated GC/MS analytical method, we measured the intense and non-intense smoking regimen yields for 6 of these HPHCs and 8 other PAHs that FDA has not designated as HPHCs in 50 top-selling U.S. cigarette brands. We compare the mainstream smoke yields of individual and total PAHs across the different cigarette products. Additionally, linear regression analysis has been used to examine potential correlations between BaP and other individual PAHs; and to consider if BaP may be an appropriate surrogate for a variety of PAHs in cigarette smoke, including those that FDA has listed as HPHCs.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the mainstream smoke of popular U.S. cigarettes

249th National Meeting (2015)

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