Analysis of 1,3-butadiene and other selected gas-phase components in cigarette mainstream and sidestream smoke by gas chromatography-mass selective detection

An analytical procedure was developed for the analysis of 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, isoprene, benzene and toluene in the gas phase of cigarette smoke and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) utilizing cryogenic gas chromatography-mass selective detection (GC-MSD). The MSD was operated in the selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The compounds of interest eluted in < 15 min. The gas phase of freshly generated mainstream smoke was introduced into the GC - MSD via a 10-port gas sampling valve on a puff-by-puff basis. This method minimizes the ageing of tobacco smoke. The levels of 1,3-butadiene in the mainstream smoke ranged from 16 to 75 µg/cigarette. The gas phase of sidestream smoke was trapped in methanol using three midget impingers at -78°C. The amount of 1,3-butadiene in the sidestream smoke ranged from 205-361 µg/cigarette. The concentration of 1,3-butadiene in ETS in a smoke-filled bar amounted to 2.7-4.5 µg/m3.