Quantitative Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Cited by the United States Food and Drug Administration

The yields of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined from cigarette mainstream smoke condensate extracts using Gas Chromatography- Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The method has been validated for ISO and Health Canada Intense (HCI) smoking protocols. Quantifiable levels (ISO means 0.16 to 365 ng/cig; HCI means 0.33 to 1595 ng/cig; n = 30) of 15 PAHs were found in the Kentucky reference cigarette K3R4F. The coefficient of variance (CV) was derived from ten determinations each run in triplicate. The CV range was 8.7% to 24.8% (ISO) and 6.6% to 24.3% (HCI). The limit of detection (LOD) based on empirical precision was ≤ 0.06 ng/cig (ISO) and ≤ 0.20 ng/cig (HCI) for all components except naphthalene (2.89 and 9.62 ng/cig, respectively). The yields from 5 unspecified branded cigarettes (Samples A-E) and 2 other reference cigarettes, K1R5F and the CORESTA monitor CM7, were determined under ISO smoking conditions. The same 15 PAHs were detected as in the K3R4F; however, cigarettes with lower yields of total particulate matter (TPM) were found to contain significantly less PAHs. One component was measured below the limit of quantification (LOQ) in Sample E and 2 components were < LOQ in the K1R5F.