A comprehensive evaluation of the toxicology of experimental, non-filtered cigarettes manufactured with different circumferences

Abstract

Context: Historical work indicates that cigarette circumference may affect the toxicological profile of experimental cigarettes.

Objective: Studies were conducted to examine the effect of different cigarette circumferences on (1) selected mainstream smoke constituents including concentrations of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in smoke and (2) mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of cigarette smoke condensate.

Materials and methods: Analytical chemistry, Salmonella mutagenicity and cytotoxicity assays were used to evaluate the composition and biological activity of mainstream smoke from experimental, non-filtered cigarettes manufactured with four different circumferences (17.0–27.1 mm).

Results: Most smoke constituents, including TSNA, decreased with decreasing cigarette circumference; however, amounts of hydrogen cyanide increased in a non-circumference dependent manner. Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity also decreased slightly with decreasing cigarette circumference.

Conclusion: Cigarette circumference may have a minor role in the toxicological profile of experimental cigarettes, with a so-far-unidentified mechanism.

• Cigarette components
• cigarette design
• smoke chemistry
• toxicological testing

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the study directors at Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris Research Laboratories, as well as, Richard R. Izac, Kent B. Koller and George J. Patskan. The authors also acknowledge the editorial assistance of Eileen Y. Ivasauskas of Accuwrit Inc. The authors thank Lonnie T. Rimmer for his work in preparing the Supplemental Material available at http://informahealthcare.com/iht.

Supplementary material available online at:

http://informahealthcare.com/iht (Doi: 10.3109/08958378.2013.854436)