Quantification of Continuous Glass Filaments on Eclipse Cigarettes Retrieved from the Test Market

Abstract

ECLIPSE cigarettes utilize a special form of continuous glass filament (CGF) as an insulator around the carbon heat source. The average numbers of CGFs on the external barrel and cigarette filter end were determined subsequent to manufacture, subsequent to real-world consumer handling and subsequent to simulated consumer handling. The following were not statistically significantly different: the average number of CGFs on the external barrel of cigarettes retrieved from the test market compared to the average external barrel counts from cigarettes subsequent to manufacture or when subjected to simulated consumer handling, and the average number of CGFs on the external barrel of cigarettes subsequent to manufacture compared to the average external barrel counts from cigarettes subjected to simulated consumer handling. The average number of CGFs on the filter end of cigarettes retrieved from the test market was statistically significantly higher than average cigarette filter end counts from cigarettes subsequent to manufacture. The average number of CGFs on the cigarette filter end of cigarettes retrieved from the test market was statistically significantly lower than average cigarette filter end counts from cigarettes subjected to simulated consumer handling. Overall, results from this study suggest that consumer handling does increase the average numbers of CGFs on the external surfaces of the cigarette. Further, the results of this study demonstrate that for the purpose of CGF quantification, the simulated consumer handling protocol used in this study (i.e., based on laboratory measurements of forces) is a reasonably good model for actual consumer handling of cigarettes. Based on the minimal number of CGFs that could be transferred to the smoker and the deposition pattern governed by their physical characteristics, the potential to deposit CGFs from these cigarettes to the lungs of smokers is extremely remote. Therefore, no convincing information exists to suggest that smokers would be exposed to CGFs from any ECLIPSE-related source at a biologically significant level.