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Anne Landman's Collection

Methyl Isocyanate in Cigarette Smoke and Its Retention by An Adsorption-Type Filter

Date: 1964
Length: 1 page
ATX02 0060003
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snapshot_atc 0060023940

Abstract

This 1-page document produced by the Research Department ofthe Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company identifies methyl isocyanate as a component in the smoke of commercial cigarettes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Toxics web page says methyl isocyanate is used to produce carbamate pesticides and is the chemical responsible for killing over 2,000 people and injuring 170,000 more in Bhopal, India in 1984. EPA's description of the chemical states:

"Methyl isocyanate is used to produce carbamate pesticides. Methyl isocyanate is extremely toxic to humans from acute (short-term) exposure. In Bhopal, India, accidental acute inhalation exposure to methyl isocyanate resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people and adverse health effects in greater than 170,000 survivors. Pulmonary [lung] edema was the probable cause of death in most cases, with many deaths resulting from secondary respiratory infections. Survivors continue to exhibit damage to the lungs and eyes." http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/methylis.html

The Liggett document says,

"Methyl isocyanate was identified and quantitatively determined in the smoke gases of 85 mm long commercial cigarettes..."

This report was produced by Liggett in 1964, the same year the U.S. Surgeon General came out with its landmark report linking cigarette smoke with disease.

Fields

Quotes

Methyl isocyanate...was identified and quantitatively determined in the smoke gases of 85 mm long commercial cigarettes. Similar quantitative determinations were also made on the smoke of cigarettes made from pure Bright, Burley and Turkish tobaccos.

Methyl isocyanate was isolated from the -80 degree C condensable smoke gases by gas liquid chromotography...

Company
Liggett & Myers
Author
Philippe RJ- Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. . Research Dept.
Honeycutt. RG, Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. Research Dept.
Recipient
Presumed recipient Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, Durham, North Carolina
Region
United States
Litigation
10004026
Type
Abstracts
Legal
Subject
smoke constituents
toxicology
tobacco smoke

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Page 1: 0060023940
METI~'L IBOCYANATb: I~i CIOA~I~TT~" ~'CKE /J~D ~T~ R!;T~;TIOE BY AN B_.. J. ~ and R. G. Honeycutt -- !leseareh Department :: :i (~ Liggett ~ld ~!yerm Tobacco CO. ~. ~: ~o~l dzoeyenato (CH)N~C=O) was identified ~a~d q~Lntlts%~vel~ ,: ~a ~: • it, determ~de~ ~n the s~oke ga.~es of 85 mm lon~ commerela3"el~are%te~. ~imilar quantitr~t~ve deterzinatlons %'ere a3.so made on the smoke,:~ clgarcttes made fret: pure Bright, Burlep ancl Turkish tobaccos. ~.~ethy] isoeyanate ~as Isol~ted from the -~0°c' conde~ssb]e s~oke gases by g;~r ]~qu~ c~ro~ato£raphy on ]o~' actlvlty fluorocarbon ~,:ubstrate~ us~rlg t~re~ different liquid phosez ~;, succ.essJon (ea~bovax 1500~ ietr~et yleneg]ycol dJw,ethyl eth~.r and 3,3'- oxT¢dilroi~l~n~tri3e). The ldent~f~atJon ~f :~e~hp~ Isocyan~ito ~as base8 on retention tl~les observed on t|~ese throe d~ff~rent co~un~ns. Co~f~'n~.!t~oI~ ~as go~[led h~ the ~nfrared and ma~s ~i,ee~rs of ~ fra:t~ml col]coted ~fter successlve passes cf t~z~ smol, e ~ase~ on the three preyS:us]3, t.isrd:~o*~e~ ~lq Id phases° Qn~t~t~,t~ve data w,re obtalned by Infrared ~peotrophotor~tric measurer.cuts 9erfor~.od on lhe 2273 em"I band of ~ethyl i.~otym~te~ d'~r~'etly on the erudrqy fractlc,nated smoke ssvple. Th~s zethod dS~s nnt ~ehn~re th~ rather time consuming gas chromato~ra~b~c separations. It al~b avoids the losses wldeh are difficult to prev~n~ whenever ~a~ chromato~raphlc fractions are repsatedly submitte&% @© In,cotton, colloct~o~ and transfer processes. The retention propertles~ fop i i ethyl laocyannto~ of ml ~_mpaction-typs filter (ce]]uloze acetate) and of a co~,bined i~paet~ m-~daorption filter s~ec:la31,' [rented • >. ch;,,eoa~ Er~Imlo~ eont:i~ne~l ~n a compartment Betweer~ t~o ee]hilose aoet~ite filt~r~) were ~,tudled anl] the results ~r~ dl,qc!issed. ATX02 0060003

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