A technique for radio-labelling tar particulate material in mainstream cigarette smoke

A technique for radiolabelling tar particulate material in mainstream cigarette smoke is described in which 1-iodohexadecane, incorporating a radionuclide of iodine, is added to a cigarette so that it is distributed uniformly along the tobacco rod. The specific activity of tar in mainstream smoke from labelled cigarettes was measured on a puff-by-puff basis using a standard smoking pattern. The range of radionuclides of iodine available makes 1-iodohexadecane a versatile tracer for studies of cigarette smoke in the laboratory and of its deposition in both animals and humans. (author)