The analysis of spent filters from human-smoked (HS) cigarettes has been used to estimate cigarette yields for over three decades. Until recently, the whole filter was used for estimation; however a part-filter method has been shown to improve the accuracy of estimated HS yields. The part-filter method uses only the mouth-end portion of the filter, downstream of the ventilation holes, for analysis. In this portion, the filtration efficiency is relatively constant irrespective of typical puff flow rates of humans and also minimizes butt length effects (e.g. nicotine condensation) on filtration efficiency. Therefore, the estimations of HS cigarette yields are more robust to human smoking conditions than previous whole-filter methods.
British American Tobacco has adopted this method to obtain better understanding of how smokers actually use their products in their everyday environment. This can give information to help understand approaches to harm reduction. Since adopting this method, modifications and quality control features have been added to improve the accuracy of the estimation. This paper will describe in detail the methodology currently in use, along with sources of error, storage studies, quality control, repeatability and reproducibility.
The effect of fertilization and arbuscularmycorrhiza (AM) on cadmium (Cd) uptake by tobacco (Nicotianatabacum L.) was studied in a greenhouse pot experiment. Two tobacco varieties and five AM fungal isolates were included in this study. Each combination of tobacco variety × AM fungal isolate was compared in two fertilization treatments: a nutrient solution and a slow-release fertilizer. Unexpectedly, root colonisation levels were low for most treatments. They were lower in the treatments having received the slow-release fertilizer than in the treatments with the nutrient solution. Inoculation with two AM fungal isolates led to a significant reduction of the Cd concentration in tobacco leaves. However, the main outcome of this study was the important effect of the fertilization regime on the Cd concentration of tobacco leaves. For one variety, Cd concentration was decreased by 48-58% in the slow-release fertilizer treatment when compared to the nutrient solution treatment. The effect of the fertilization regime on leaf Cd concentration was thus clearly more pronounced than that of AM. Similar results were obtained for the other variety, although the decrease was less pronounced.
Smoking, especially cigarette smoking, is the most common form of tobacco consumption world-wide. It is generally accepted that smoking carries health risks for smokers. The combustion and pyrolysis products of tobacco generated during smoking are considered to be responsible for the harmful effects. Smokeless tobacco, another wide-spread form of tobacco use, is not subjected to burning and produces no combustion or pyrolysis products. Therefore, there is an increasingly intense debate about the potential role of smokeless tobacco in reducing the harm of tobacco use.
An overview is presented on the different types of smokeless tobaccos consumed around the world. Commercial products differ widely in composition and patterns of use. The smokeless tobaccos of the Western world (Europe and North America) need to be clearly distinguished from those popular in Asia, Africa and South America. The modern smokeless tobaccos used in Europe and North America are reviewed regarding their chemical composition and toxicological properties. Agents of concern found in smokeless tobacco, especially the tobacco specific N-nitrosamines, are dealt with in particular.
The epidemiological evidence is summarized concerning a wide range of health outcomes. Published reviews and studies are presented and interpreted regarding non-neoplastic oral diseases, various forms of cancer, circulatory diseases, several other diseases and pregnancy outcome. While many of the epidemiological studies have weaknesses and data are often inconsistent it is quite obvious that smokeless tobacco use is much less risky for consumers than smoking. In fact, for modern forms of European moist snuff such as Swedish snus, which is subject to strict quality standards, there is evidence for - if any - only very limited serious health risk.
The ongoing public discussion centers around the influence smokeless tobacco may have on smoking rates (initiation or cessation) and the occurrence of tobacco specific diseases - with Sweden being a revealing example. There is an interesting controversy regarding product and marketing regulations for smokeless tobaccos in the European Union.
Because of the excellent fractionation and identification technologies developed during the early-1950s, the compositions of tobacco and tobacco smoke, both classified as highly complex mixtures, have been defined more completely than the composition of any other highly complex commercial product such as coffee. By year-end 1953, the many years of research by scientists using classical chemical techniques to define the composition of tobacco and its smoke provided meaningful information on the nature of over 300 tobacco components and fewer than 100 tobacco smoke components. Those involved in the pre-1954 research not only provided the cornerstone of our knowledge of the two compositions but also deserve the gratitude of their successors for the early information generated on tobacco and its smoke. This article is our tribute to those researchers who generated much meaningful knowledge on the composition of tobacco and tobacco smoke prior to 1954 despite the now known fractionation and analytical limitations of the so-called classical chemical techniques. It also notes the similarity of some of the early and more recent research results obtained on the chemical and biological properties of smoke condensate and several of its components from tobacco with those obtained by Roffo in the 1930s on a destructive distillate of tobacco.
The analysis of spent filters from human-smoked (HS) cigarettes has been used to estimate cigarette yields for over three decades. Until recently, the whole filter was used for estimation; however a part-filter method has been shown to improve the accuracy of estimated HS yields. The part-filter method uses only the mouth-end portion of the filter, downstream of the ventilation holes, for analysis. In this portion, the filtration efficiency is relatively constant irrespective of typical puff flow rates of humans and also minimizes butt length effects (e.g. nicotine condensation) on filtration efficiency. Therefore, the estimations of HS cigarette yields are more robust to human smoking conditions than previous whole-filter methods.
British American Tobacco has adopted this method to obtain better understanding of how smokers actually use their products in their everyday environment. This can give information to help understand approaches to harm reduction. Since adopting this method, modifications and quality control features have been added to improve the accuracy of the estimation. This paper will describe in detail the methodology currently in use, along with sources of error, storage studies, quality control, repeatability and reproducibility.
The effect of fertilization and arbuscularmycorrhiza (AM) on cadmium (Cd) uptake by tobacco (Nicotianatabacum L.) was studied in a greenhouse pot experiment. Two tobacco varieties and five AM fungal isolates were included in this study. Each combination of tobacco variety × AM fungal isolate was compared in two fertilization treatments: a nutrient solution and a slow-release fertilizer. Unexpectedly, root colonisation levels were low for most treatments. They were lower in the treatments having received the slow-release fertilizer than in the treatments with the nutrient solution. Inoculation with two AM fungal isolates led to a significant reduction of the Cd concentration in tobacco leaves. However, the main outcome of this study was the important effect of the fertilization regime on the Cd concentration of tobacco leaves. For one variety, Cd concentration was decreased by 48-58% in the slow-release fertilizer treatment when compared to the nutrient solution treatment. The effect of the fertilization regime on leaf Cd concentration was thus clearly more pronounced than that of AM. Similar results were obtained for the other variety, although the decrease was less pronounced.
Smoking, especially cigarette smoking, is the most common form of tobacco consumption world-wide. It is generally accepted that smoking carries health risks for smokers. The combustion and pyrolysis products of tobacco generated during smoking are considered to be responsible for the harmful effects. Smokeless tobacco, another wide-spread form of tobacco use, is not subjected to burning and produces no combustion or pyrolysis products. Therefore, there is an increasingly intense debate about the potential role of smokeless tobacco in reducing the harm of tobacco use.
An overview is presented on the different types of smokeless tobaccos consumed around the world. Commercial products differ widely in composition and patterns of use. The smokeless tobaccos of the Western world (Europe and North America) need to be clearly distinguished from those popular in Asia, Africa and South America. The modern smokeless tobaccos used in Europe and North America are reviewed regarding their chemical composition and toxicological properties. Agents of concern found in smokeless tobacco, especially the tobacco specific N-nitrosamines, are dealt with in particular.
The epidemiological evidence is summarized concerning a wide range of health outcomes. Published reviews and studies are presented and interpreted regarding non-neoplastic oral diseases, various forms of cancer, circulatory diseases, several other diseases and pregnancy outcome. While many of the epidemiological studies have weaknesses and data are often inconsistent it is quite obvious that smokeless tobacco use is much less risky for consumers than smoking. In fact, for modern forms of European moist snuff such as Swedish snus, which is subject to strict quality standards, there is evidence for - if any - only very limited serious health risk.
The ongoing public discussion centers around the influence smokeless tobacco may have on smoking rates (initiation or cessation) and the occurrence of tobacco specific diseases - with Sweden being a revealing example. There is an interesting controversy regarding product and marketing regulations for smokeless tobaccos in the European Union.
Because of the excellent fractionation and identification technologies developed during the early-1950s, the compositions of tobacco and tobacco smoke, both classified as highly complex mixtures, have been defined more completely than the composition of any other highly complex commercial product such as coffee. By year-end 1953, the many years of research by scientists using classical chemical techniques to define the composition of tobacco and its smoke provided meaningful information on the nature of over 300 tobacco components and fewer than 100 tobacco smoke components. Those involved in the pre-1954 research not only provided the cornerstone of our knowledge of the two compositions but also deserve the gratitude of their successors for the early information generated on tobacco and its smoke. This article is our tribute to those researchers who generated much meaningful knowledge on the composition of tobacco and tobacco smoke prior to 1954 despite the now known fractionation and analytical limitations of the so-called classical chemical techniques. It also notes the similarity of some of the early and more recent research results obtained on the chemical and biological properties of smoke condensate and several of its components from tobacco with those obtained by Roffo in the 1930s on a destructive distillate of tobacco.