Quantitative analysis of the hydrogen peroxide formed in aqueous cigarette tar extracts

Abstract

We have established, for the first time, a reliable method to quantiate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generated in aqueous extracts of cigarette smoke tar. The aqueous tar extract was passed through a short reverse-phase column and its H₂O₂ concentration determined by differential pulse polarography using an automatic reference subtraction system. The H₂O₂ concentration increased with aging, pH and temperature; the presence of superoxide dismutase lead to lower H₂O₂ concentrations. This method was applied to many kinds of research and commercial cigarettes. With a few exceptions, the amount of H₂O₂ formed after a fixed time from each cigarette smoke was proportional to its tar yield.