Particulate matter emissions of four types of one cigarette brand with and without additives: a laser spectrometric particulate matter analysis of secondhand smoke

Abstract

ObjectiveInhaled particulate matter (PM) in secondhand smoke (SHS) is deleterious for smokers and non-smokers. Different additives in cigarettes might effect the amount of PM. This study aimed to assess the influence of additives on the PM emissions from different cigarette types in SHS.DesignAn experimental study of PM measuring in SHS of cigarettes without exposition of any person.MethodThe concentrations of PM (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) in SHS of four different types of cigarettes of the brand Lucky Strike, two types with additives (Original Red, Original Blue) and two types without additives (Straight Red, Straight Blue), in comparison to the reference cigarette 3R4F were analysed. An automatic environmental tobacco smoke emitter generated SHS in an enclosed space with a volume of 2.88 m3. PM was measured with a laser aerosol spectrometer (Grimm model 1.109). Afterwards, the measuring values of the four Lucky Strike brands and the reference cigarette were statistically evaluated and visualised.ResultsLucky Strike Straight Blue, a cigarette type without additives and lower tar amount, showed 10% to 25% lower PM mean values compared with the other tested Lucky Strike products, but 21% (PM1) respectively 27% (PM2.5,PM10) higher mean values than the reference cigarette. The PM mean of all measured smoke-free baseline values (clean air) was 1.6 µg/m³. It increased up to about 1800 µg/m³ for the reference cigarette and up to about 3070 µg/m³ for the Lucky Strike Original Blue.ConclusionsThe findings of this study show the massive increase of PM amount by smoking cigarettes in enclosed spaces and suggest that additives in tobacco products increase the PM amount in SHS. For validation, further comparative studies are necessary focusing on the comparison of the PM concentration of cigarettes with and without additives.ImplicationsDue to the exposure to SHS, 890 000 people die each year worldwide. PM in SHS endangers the health of both non-smokers and smokers. This study considers the effect of additives like aromatics and humectant agents in cigarettes on PM in SHS. Do additives in tobacco products increase the amount of PM?

High particulate matter burden by cigarillos: A laser spectrometric analysis of second-hand smoke of common brands with and without filter

“…Two cigarillo brands emitted less PM, and three brands showed similar PM values compared to the reference cigarette. These variations of PM emissions relative to the reference cigarette are consistent with previous ToPIQ studies on cigarettes, where different brands showed likewise more or fewer PM emissions compared to the reference cigarette within a similar range of percentage variation [29,31,34]. Our results differ slightly from studies of particle emissions of six cigars, three cigarillos, and four cigarettes performed in an unventilated 20 m 3 chamber [35].…”

“…The reported amounts of the reference cigarette are as follows: tar 9.4 mg, nicotine: 0.73 mg, CO: 12 mg [ 26 ]. For comparison, the reported amounts of the “regular strong” and popular cigarette brands Marlboro Red and Lucky Strike Original Red are as follows: tar 10 mg, nicotine: 0.8 mg, CO: 10 mg [ 28 , 29 ]. For the series of measurements, 20 pieces of each tobacco product were used.…”

High Particulate Matter Burden of Cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates and Germany: Are There Country-Specific Differences?

“…On the one hand, Rustemeier et al [40] stated in 2002 that additives in cigarettes increase PM levels in a range from 13% to 28%. Braun et al [17] found higher PM burden by cigarettes with additives in comparison to those of the same brand without additives too. An analysis of the formerly secret documents of the tobacco industry released in 2011 by Wertz et al [41], ascertained post hoc protocol alterations in four peer-reviewed publications conducted by Philip Morris.…”

“…This study, much like to previous ToPIQ studies, focused on the comparison of the investigated tobacco products with a reference cigarette [14][15][16][17]24,31,43,59]. Especially for comparison with guideline values or other investigations, the absolute data are stated.…”

“…Two apparently identical pairs of two cigarette brands (Marlboro, Winston) and additionally a "light" and a "normal" type of the same brand (Parliament) sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany (GER) were examined regarding PM in SHS. This seems to be reasonable because previous studies showed a wide range of PM levels within different tobacco products [14][15][16][17]. The high-income countries UAE and Germany were chosen due to their similarities in a socioeconomic context [18].…”