Analysis of Benz[C]acridines in Cigarette Smoke by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A method has been developed for the analysis of mutagenic and carcinogenic benz[c]acridines (BAcs) in cigarette smoke condensates on filter tips. The BAcs were extracted from cigarette filter tips with chlorobenzene in a Soxhlet apparatus, purified by liquid-liquid partition and column chromatography, and then analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence detection. Recoveries of BAcs spiked at 0.5 ng/tip were 81.2-90.4%, and the limit of detection was found to be 5 pg. Typically, smoked cigarette filter tips were found to contain the known carcinogens benz[c]acridine and 9-methylbenz[c]acridine. The identification of peaks in each sample chromatogram was confirmed by comparing the retention times and the fluorescence spectra with its standard respectively.