Trace Metals Analysis of Legal and Counterfeit Cigarette Tobacco Samples Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A closed-vessel microwave-digestion method was developed for the determination of trace amounts of Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Tl, and Pb by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and Hg by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry in cigarette tobacco samples. In order to gauge the effectiveness of the digestion procedure, recovery studies were conducted using solutions prepared from National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 1573a Trace Elements in Tomato Leaves and Polish Certified Reference Material Virginia Tobacco Leaves. Limits of detection were below 1 mu gg-1 for all elements studied. Samples from two genuine-brand and three counterfeit packs were analyzed. The mean amounts of Be, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Hg were higher in counterfeit cigarettes, while the amounts of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, and Ba were comparable among legal and counterfeit cigarettes; the amount of Ni was higher in the legal cigarettes. Evaluation of Be, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Hg with their potential hazards for smokers is briefly discussed.