Abstract: Direct introduction of mainstream cigarette smoke into an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been investigated with respect to its feasibility for on-line analysis of trace elements. An automated apparatus was designed and built interfacing a smoking machine with an ICP-MS for smoke generation, collection, injection and analysis. Major and minor elements present in the particulate phase and the gas phase of mainstream cigarette smoke of 2R4F reference cigarettes have been qualitatively identified by examination of their full mass spectra. This method provides a rapid-screening analysis of the transfer of trace elements into mainstream smoke during cigarette combustion. A full suite of elements present in the whole cigarette smoke has been identified, including As, B, Ba, Br, Cd, Cl, Cs, Cu, Hg, I, K, Li, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sn, Tl and Zn. Of these elements, the major portions of B, Ba, Cs, Cu, K, Li, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, Sn, Tl and Zn are present in the particulate phase, whereas the major portion of Hg is present in the gas phase. As, Br, Cd, Cl, I and Sb exist in a distribution between the gas phase and the particulate phase. Depending on the element, the precision of measurement ranges from 5 to 25% in terms of relative standard deviation of peak height and peak area, based on the fourth puff of 2R4F mainstream cigarette smoke analyzed in five smoking replicates.

Abstract: A rapid method for the determination of mercury in mainstream cigarette smoke was developed utilizing reusable gold-platinum gauze to collect vapor phase mercury. Either an electrostatic precipitator or a Cambridge filter is used to remove the particulate phase of cigarette smoke, followed by a second Cambridge filter to further absorb volatile organic components. The vapor phase mercury is selectively trapped onto the gold-platinum gauze and is then determined by two-stage amalgamation cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) without matrix interference. One of the major advantages of this method is the avoidance of lengthy sample preparation procedures, which are required when using liquid impinger traps. Only one cigarette is required for smoke generation because of the pre-concentration of mercury before quantitation and the enhanced sensitivity of amalgamation CVAAS. The limit of detection is 0.04 ng. The analytical precision of elemental mercury is 6% at 0.1 ng and 0.3% at 10 ng in terms of relative standard deviation. For the 1R4F reference cigarette smoked under the FTC smoking regime and an alternative smoking regime, the vapor phase mercury in the mainstream smoke is 5.0±0.4 ng per cigt (n = 20) and 7.4±0.4 ng per cigt (n = 10), respectively. The recovery of fortified sample matrix is 97±8% (n = 5) for FTC smoking regime and 96±4% (n = 5) for the alternative smoking regime. The analytical results of the 1R4F reference cigarette were in good agreement with those obtained by the conventional liquid impinger method.