Abstract

The present study examines the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cigarettes and sidestream cigarette smoke. Nine PAHs were determined in sidestream cigarette smokes for five types of cigarettes. The volume of the experimental room is approximately 66 m³. The air samples in the room were collected before and after smoking. The total PAH concentrations were approximately 1.0 ng/m³ before smoking, but the median concentration and the range of PAHs were 29.1 ng/m³ and from 7.62 to 57.6 ng/m³ after smoking. The relationship between suspended particulate matter (SPM) and total PAHs after smoking is significant and proportional. This may indicate that the SPM formation is associated with PAH formation during smoking. Furthermore, nine PAHs were determined in the cigarettes. Median PAH contents in the five brands of cigarettes ranged from 221 to 936 ng per cigarette before smoking and from 66.9 to 266 ng per cigarette after smoking. Mean PAH emissions from cigarettes while smoking ranged from 257 to 1490 ng per cigarette. The results show that PAHs in the cigarettes, and those generated during smoking, were emitted into the air.

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