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1965253 
Journal Article 
Tobacco additives in cigarettes - Intended purpose and potential of danger 
Merckel, C; Pragst, F 
2007 
1 
Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit
ISSN: 1661-5751
EISSN: 1661-5867 
SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG 
CHAM 
2 
3 
287-301 
WOS:000254745700004 
Cigarettes don't consist simply of tobacco, paper and filter but contain a large number of additives. Besides stabilization, conservation and humidification, these additives are mainly intended to improve the sensory properties and to increase the attractiveness for smokers and passive smokers. In addition to single substances such as glycerol, propylene glycol, menthol, vanillin, diammonium hydrogenphosphate or n-propyl-p-hydroxybenzoate also complex additive mixtures such as cocoa, liquorice or mint oil are added. For analytical control which is a prerequisite of a legal regulation of tobacco additives, headspace solid phase microextraction in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has proved to be particularly useful. Furthermore, enzymatic-photometric methods for determination of ammonium and liquid chromatography for non-volatile additives were applied. From such analytical investigations followed that cigarettes provide a brand specific as well as a country specific additive profile. Experimental studies about the toxic effects of the additives or their pyrolysis products under smoking conditions are rare and findings about the isolated substances are often contradictory interpreted by the cigarette industry and by independent scientists. Although the pyrolysis of some additives leads to reactive species such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde or acroleine or to potential carcinogens such as styrene, it can be concluded that the main health risk of the additives does not result from an increase of the toxicity of cigarette smoke but from the improved acceptance and the increase of the bioavailability of nicotine. This leads to an earlier start of the smoking carrier of adolescents and to an increase of addiction. 
cigarettes; flavours in cigarettes; humectants in tobacco; pyrolysis products of tobacco additives; smoking; tobacco additives; toxicity of tobacco additives