Overview
ISO 20778:2018 - "Cigarettes - Routine analytical cigarette smoking machine - Definitions and standard conditions with an intense smoking regime" specifies definitions, machine requirements and verification methods for conducting routine analytical cigarette smoking under an intense machine-smoking regime. The standard complements earlier ISO work on cigarette smoking regimes by prescribing the parameters, equipment features and test environment needed to generate reproducible emissions data under more intense puffing conditions.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Defined smoking parameters: the standard sets repeatable metrics for machine smoking. For example, the standard puff duration is specified as (2.00 ± 0.02) s and the standard puff volume is specified as (55.0 ± 0.6) ml when measured in series with a pressure-drop device of 1 000 Pa ± 50 Pa. It also requires that at least 95% of the puff volume leave the butt end within one puff duration.
- Machine specification and performance: requirements for routine analytical smoking machines include the puff profile, operating principle, reliability and compensation (ability to maintain volume/profile when port pressure changes), puff counting, ignition, and smoke trap/holder design.
- Environmental and positioning controls: clauses address test atmosphere, cigarette position, ashtray position, restricted smoking, and control and monitoring of ambient air flow around cigarettes, including measurement locations and air-velocity specification.
- Verification and test methods: additional methods for machine verification and calibration are specified to ensure consistent results across machines and laboratories.
- Annex A: provides informative examples of smoking-machine enclosure designs.
Practical applications and users
Who uses ISO 20778:2018:
- Tobacco testing laboratories conducting emissions analyses (e.g., total particulate matter, nicotine, water)
- Manufacturers and designers of analytical smoking machines seeking compliance and interoperability
- Regulatory agencies and public-health organizations that require standardized test data for product characterization
- Research groups studying cigarette emissions under intense puffing protocols
Practical uses:
- Producing reproducible machine-smoked emission data for product development, quality control and regulatory submissions
- Verifying and calibrating smoking machines to a recognized international benchmark
- Comparing product emissions under a standardized intense regime
Important note: ISO 20778:2018 - like related ISO smoking standards - is intended for machine-based characterization of emissions. Machine measurements are useful for design and regulatory purposes but are not direct measures of human exposure or risk; caution is advised when communicating results.
Related standards
- ISO 3308 - Routine analytical cigarette-smoking machine - definitions and standard conditions (original regime)
- ISO 3402 - Atmosphere for conditioning and testing
- Technical reports: ISO/TR 19478-1 and ISO/TR 19478-2 (collaborative study background)
Keywords: ISO 20778:2018, cigarette smoking machine, intense smoking regime, puff duration, puff volume, smoke trap, machine verification, tobacco testing standards.