Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology
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Twenty-five brands of Canadian commercial cigarettes were analyzed for tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in tobacco and in mainstream smoke as well as for nitrate in tobacco. Preformed N'-nitrosonor-nicotine (NNN) in the tobacco ranged from 265 ng to 979 ng/cigarette, preformed 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) ranged from 465 ng to 878 ng/cigarette. The mainstream smoke concentration for NNN was between 5 ng and 39 ng/cigarette and for NNK between 5 ng and 97 Ng/cigarette. ⋯ However, no correlation between the level of preformed TSNA in tobacco and the tar delivery in mainstream smoke could be observed. It is demonstrated that the good correlation between the tar and TSNA deliveries in mainstream smoke can only be attributed to the unusual good correlation between the tar delivery and the ventilation ratio. For the cigarettes investigated, which seemed to be Virginia-type cigarettes, with few exceptions, the ventilation ratio had a much higher influence on the mainstream smoke concentration than the level of preformed TSNA in tobacco.