Optimization of Analytical Procedure for Hydrogen Cyanide in Mainstream Smoke

Hydrogen cyanide(HCN), formed from pyrolysis of various nitrogenous compounds such as protein, amino acids and nitrate in tobacco, is present in both the particulate phase and vapor phase of cigarette smoke. Typically the determination of HCN in cigarette smoke has been done through colorimetric and electrochemical techniques, such as fluorescence spectrometry, UV-spectrophotometry (UV), continuous flow analyzer (CFA), capillary GC-ECD and ion chromatography (IC). Most of these techniques are known to be time-consuming and some of them lack specificity or sensitivity. The available results from both our laboratory and reported literatures for 2R4F Kentucky reference cigarette, smoked under ISO condition, show a relatively wide variation ranging from 100 to 120 ug/cig of HCN. Especially, the precision and accuracy of the analytical results of HCN tend to get worse in low tar cigarettes and under intense smoking condition. In this paper, a more optimized analytical methods than previous ones are suggested. This method shows lower detection limit and has improved precision and accuracy, so it is applicable for wide tar level cigarettes under intense smoking condition as well as under ISO smoking condition. Important features of this method are improved sample collection and quantification systems such as the number of trapping units, volume, temperature and type of trapping solution. To avoid volatilization loss of HCN in analyzing mainstream smoke, it is highly recommended that pH values of trapping solutions should be maintained over 11 and cold traps should be used in collecting mainstream smoke.