The Determination of Formaldehyde in Cigarette Smoke

A specific, sensitive method for the determination of formaldehyde in cigarette smoke is described employing the spectrophotometric detection of the product formed by reaction of formaldehyde with p-rosaniline and sulphur dioxide. The procedure is applicable to the analysis of smoke from cigarettes manufactured from flue-cured, Burley and fermented tobaccos. Smoking parameters and the use of Cambridge filters have been found to affect delivery markedly. The effect of several commercial filters on formaldehyde delivery has been examined.