Comprehensive chemical characterization of Rapé tobacco products: Nicotine, un-ionized nicotine, tobacco-specific N'-nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flavor constituents.
Rapé, a diverse group of smokeless tobacco products indigenous to South America, is generally used as a nasal snuff and contains substantial amount of plant material with or without tobacco. Previously uncharacterized, rapé contains addictive and harmful chemicals that may have public health implications for users. Here we report % moisture, pH, and the levels of total nicotine, un-ionized nicotine, flavor-related compounds, tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for manufactured and hand-made rapé. Most rapé products were mildly acidic (pH 5.17-6.23) with total nicotine ranging from 6.32 to 47.6 milligram per gram of sample (mg/g). Calculated un-ionized nicotine ranged from 0.03 to 18.5 mg/g with the highest values associated with hand-made rapés (pH 9.75-10.2), which contain alkaline ashes. In tobacco-containing rapés, minor alkaloid levels and Fourier transform infrared spectra were used to confirm the presence of Nicotiana rustica, a high nicotine tobacco species. There was a wide concentration range of TSNAs and PAHs among the rapés analyzed. Several TSNAs and PAHs identified in the products are known or probable carcinogens according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Milligram quantities of some non-tobacco constituents, such as camphor, coumarin, and eugenol, warrant additional evaluation.
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. Electronic address: sstanfill@cdc.gov.
Stephen B
SB
Stanfill
National Health Surveillance Agency Brazil (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária), [ANVISA], Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
André Luiz
AL
Oliveira da Silva
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Joseph G
JG
Lisko
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Tameka S
TS
Lawler
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Peter
P
Kuklenyik
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Robert E
RE
Tyx
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Elizabeth H
EH
Peuchen
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Patricia
P
Richter
Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Clifford H
CH
Watson
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D002935:Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Q000737:chemistry; D005054:Eugenol / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008610:Menthol / Q000032:analysis; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000032:analysis*
D000470:Alkaloids; D009602:Nitrosamines; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D008610:Menthol; D005054:Eugenol; D009538:Nicotine
Flavors; Nasal snuff; Nicotine; Rapé; Smokeless tobacco; Tobacco-specific nitrosamines