TAR AND NICOTINE YIELD VARIATION IN THE SMOKE OF SOME COMMERCIAL CIGARETTE BRANDS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate medium-term variations associated with cigarette manufacturing by determining tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields in best-selling commercial cigarettes selected to represent a range of design parameters, including cigarette format and nicotine level. Average mainstream smoke yields for twelve commercial brands and the monitor reference cigarette CM 8, smoked under the ISO regimen, were determined using recommended standard analytical methods. For King size cigarettes, RSD % increased from brands with higher nicotine yields to those with lower nicotine yields, whereas low-nicotine slim cigarettes generally exhibited lower variability in constituent yields compared to King size cigarettes. Good repeatability for tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide was achieved, confirming the stability of the smoking process and the analytical performance of the reference cigarette CM 8. Overall, the higher variability observed among commercial cigarettes was due to actual differences between individual cigarette batches rather than an inadequate measurement method.