In addition cigarettes are fragranced products. Fragrance/flavors chemicals are added to enhance flavor, especially lower tar and nicotine brands which have less tobacco. There is indication that these cigarette additives may increase the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.
J. Agric. Food Chem., 48 (4), 1298 -1306, 2000. 10.1021/jf990772iS0021-8561(99)00772-4
Not subject to U.S. Copyright. Published 2000 American Chemical Society Quantitation of Flavor-Related Alkenylbenzenes in Tobacco Smoke Particulate by Selected Ion Monitoring Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Stephen B. Stanfill* and David L. Ashley
Abstract:
Little is known about the possible health effects associated with inhaling alkenylbenzenes through cigarette smoking, even though these flavor-related compounds have known toxic effects in animals. We developed a rapid and sensitive solid-phase extraction (SPE) method to quantify seven alkenylbenzenes and piperonal in mainstream cigarette smoke particulate. The smoke particulate fraction of a single cigarette was collected on Cambridge filter pads, solvent extracted, concentrated, purified with SPE, and analyzed by selected ion monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We positively identified and quantified five alkenylbenzenes compounds (eugenol, isoeugenol, methyleugenol myristicin, and elemicin) and piperonal in the smoke particulate from eight U.S. brands with mean levels (measured in triplicate) ranging from 6.6 to 4210 ng per cigarette. Additionally, complete blocking of nearly invisible ventilation holes in the cigarette filter increased 2- to 7-fold the percent transfer of alkenylbenzenes from tobacco to the particulate fraction of mainstream smoke.
Eugenol, isoeugenol, methyleugenol myristicin,, elemicin and piperonal are
also used as fragrance materials.
The below study was conducted in Germany and provides objective data regarding exposure to scented products. Nitromusks are being phased out in Germany. This accounts for the decrease in nitromusk found in plasma. Here in the US, nitromusks continue to be used. The US is the highest consumer of scented products worldwide. So it is likely that if levels were tested here in the US, they would be even higher.
Kafferlein HU, Trends in the musk xylene concentrations in plasma samples from the general population from 1992/1993 to 1998 and the relevance of dermal uptake. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2001 Sep;74(7):470-6 Angerer J. Institut und Poliklinik fur Arbeits-. Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Universitat Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. hkaefferlein@ciit.org
OBJECTIVES: Musk xylene (MX), an environmentally important nitromusk compound,
is used in different fragrances and soaps as substitute for natural musk. MX is known to occur in breast milk and plasma samples from the general population. Biological monitoring was carried out to study the change in MX concentrations in plasma from the general population over a period of about 6 years. METHODS: Forty-one human plasma samples from the general population were collected and analyzed in 1998. The MX concentrations in plasma were compared with those in samples collected from the general population in 1992/1993. In order to study possible routes of exposure, we also analyzed perfumes (n = 8), various body-care products (n = 17), and detergents (n = 5) in the households from the persons who were exposed in 1998. The body-care products or the detergents were used every day or at least 3 -4 times per week.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A remarkable decrease in MX levels was found on comparing the values from 1992,1993 and 1998. In 1998 12% (five out of 41) of the samples analyzed yielded positive results for MX (median: <0.1 microg/l, range: <0.1-0.29 microg/l), while in 1993 MX was found in 92% (66 out of 72) of the samples (median: 0.24 microg/l, range: <0.1- 1.12 microg/l). The observed decrease is explained by the discontinued use of MX in detergents in Germany since 1993. As a consequence, no MX could be found in the investigated detergents in the present study. However, MX could be analyzed in at least one perfume and/or perfumed bodycare product of the exposed individuals. The concentrations were in the range between 8.8 and 28.8 mg/kg in the investigated products. Because other confounding factors, e.g. diet and occupational exposure, could be excluded, the results point to the possibility that MX can be taken up through the skin. However, the small number of investigated persons limits this assumption.