Overview
ISO 22634-2:2019 specifies a validated laboratory method for the determination of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in the total particulate matter (TPM) of cigarette mainstream smoke using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This Part 2 method uses cyclohexane as the extraction solvent, adopts ISO 3308 smoking parameters, and provides an alternative to ISO 22634-1 with a different clean‑up and a shorter analytical run for potentially higher sample throughput.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and principle: Sampling and conditioning of cigarettes per ISO 8243 and ISO 3402; machine smoking per ISO 4387 (ISO 3308 parameters); TPM collection on glass‑fibre filter pads; extraction with cyclohexane; sample clean‑up by solid phase extraction (SPE); analysis by GC/MS.
- Analytical technique: Use of GC/MS with single ion monitoring (SIM), splitless injections on a capillary column (example: 50% phenyl/50% methyl polysiloxane, 30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm).
- Sample preparation and equipment: Cyclohexane extraction, SPE cartridges (NH bonded silica recommended), TurboVap® evaporator (or equivalent), vacuum sample prep unit, ultrasonic bath, shaker, vortex mixer, positive displacement pipettes and autosampler recommended.
- Standards and calibration: Preparation of primary and secondary B[a]P and B[a]P‑d12 stock solutions; six working standards to cover target concentration ranges; storage guidance-solutions stable up to four months at ≤4 °C in amber glassware.
- Quality and performance: Method includes calibration, calculation, and assessed repeatability and reproducibility; provides guidance for blank solutions and reporting.
- Safety: B[a]P and B[a]P‑d12 are carcinogens - appropriate lab safety and regulatory compliance required.
Applications and who uses it
- Tobacco testing laboratories performing routine or comparative analyses of cigarette mainstream smoke for regulatory, research, or product characterization purposes.
- Regulatory bodies and public health agencies requiring standardized, reproducible measurements of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene.
- Tobacco manufacturers and R&D groups evaluating design changes or formulations and needing higher sample throughput using an alternative clean‑up and faster analytical run.
- Academic and contract research labs studying emissions chemistry or exposure proxies (note: machine measurements do not equate to human exposure).
Practical benefits include a validated alternative workflow to ISO 22634-1 with a different SPE clean‑up and a shorter total run time that can increase laboratory sample throughput.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 22634-2:2019, benzo[a]pyrene, B[a]P, GC/MS, cyclohexane extraction, cigarette mainstream smoke, TPM, solid phase extraction, ISO 3308.