Determination of Organophosphate Esters in Cigarettes and Cigarette Smoke

Haruki Shimazu

School of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan

Abstract: The present study examines the concentration levels of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in cigarettes and cigarette smoke and to know the emission characteristics of OPEs. Seven OPEs were determined in cigarette smokes for five types of Japanese cigarettes. The median total OPE concentrations were 95.5 ng/m3 before smoking and 282 ng/m3 after smoking. The median concentrations of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), which was the most abundant OPE, were 68.3 ng/m3 before smoking and 253 ng/m3 after smoking. Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) were also detected frequently. The relationship

between suspended particulate matter (SPM), TBEP, TCEP, and TPP after smoking is significantly proportional. This may indicate that the SPM formation is associated with those OPE formation during smoking. Furthermore, five OPEs were determined in the cigarettes. Median TBEP contents in the cigarettes ranged from N.D. to 9210 ng per cigarette, and the median TBEP emissions from cigarettes while smoking ranged from 3630 to 6730 ng per cigarette. The relationships between TBEP, TCEP and TPP after smoking were significantly positive. The results probably show that parts of TBEP in the cigarettes were transformed to TCEP and TPP, and those OPEs were emitted into the air.

Key words: cigarette, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sidestream cigarette smoke, suspended particulate matter