Overview
ISO 23923:2020 specifies a validated laboratory method for quantifying selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the mainstream smoke of cigarettes using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‑MS) under an intense smoking regime. The standard targets five VOCs: 1,3‑butadiene, isoprene, acrylonitrile, benzene and toluene, and uses the smoking parameters defined in ISO 20778 (equivalent to Health Canada T‑115).
Key topics and requirements
- Analytes: 1,3‑butadiene, isoprene, acrylonitrile, benzene, toluene (selected VOCs).
- Sample collection: mainstream smoke passed through a glass‑fibre filter pad into cryogenically cooled impinger traps containing methanol (impinger trapping).
- Analytical technique: GC‑MS with split injections and Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM) for sensitive, selective quantification.
- Internal standards and calibration: use of deuterated internal standards (e.g., benzene‑D, toluene‑D) and multi‑level calibration standards prepared in methanol.
- Apparatus and reagents: cryogenic impingers, GC‑MS, fused silica capillary column (example: DB‑624, 60 m × 0.25 mm × 1.4 µm), HPLC‑grade methanol, dry ice, certified reference materials for each analyte.
- Smoking regime and machine setup: testing under the intense smoking regime (ISO 20778) with guidance for linear and rotary smoking machines; sample generation and smoking machine configuration are specified.
- Quality and performance: calibration procedures, repeatability and reproducibility assessments (results from a CORESTA collaborative study are described), and reporting requirements.
- Safety: handling of hazardous chemicals and appropriate laboratory controls; the standard warns users to adopt safe practices.
Applications and users
- Routine regulatory testing and compliance assessments for cigarette emissions.
- Product development and design characterization within tobacco and nicotine product manufacturers.
- Analytical and contract laboratories performing smoke analyte testing using GC‑MS methods.
- Public health and research laboratories assessing toxicant yields in mainstream smoke for comparative studies.
- Useful input for toxicant inventories and hazard assessment, with the caveat that machine‑generated smoke yields are not direct measures of human exposure or risk.
Related standards
- ISO 20778 - routine analytical cigarette smoking machine (intense regime)
- ISO 20779 - generation and collection of total particulate matter (intense regime)
- ISO 3402 - conditioning atmosphere for tobacco testing
- ISO 8243 - cigarettes - sampling
- ISO 5725 - accuracy (repeatability and reproducibility) of measurement methods
ISO 23923:2020 provides a reproducible, GC‑MS‑based protocol for VOC measurement in mainstream cigarette smoke, supporting consistent laboratory comparisons, method validation, and regulatory reporting.