MULTIELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TOBACCO AND SMOKE CONDENSATE BY INSTRUMENTAL NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS AND ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

The tobacco and tobacco smoke of the brands Marlboro and the average cigarette C-20 have been analysed for 23 elements. The tobacco smoke condensate TSC was collected under standard conditions in a quartz tube by electrostatic precipitation using a commercial smoking machine. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used for the detection of the elements Ag, As, Au, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Sb, Se, Th, U and Zn in tobacco and TSC, and atomic absorption spectrometry for the elements As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Tl and Zn. For analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry, the tobacco and TSC samples were digested in a pressure microwave decomposition system. The results of the two methods showed good agreement. The contents determined in the smoke condensate were lower than 1 ng/cig. for the elements Ag, Au, Ce, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Sb, Sc, Th, Tl and U; for the elements As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn, they were between 1 and 100 ng/cig., and for the elements Br, K and Na, they were above 100 ng/cig. For the most relevant elements, the percentage transfer from the cigarette tobacco into the smoke was estimated. The results are compared with those presented in the literature.