Variations in Amounts of Tobacco Tar Retrieved from Selected Models of Smoking Behavior Simulated by Smoking Machine* SAXONGRAHAM,SHIRLEYCROUCH,MORTONL. LEVIN,ANDFREDG. BOCK (Department of Epidemiology, Rosiceli Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York) SUMMARY The observation was made of variations in human cigarette smoking habits. This suggested that examination by an analytic smoking machine be undertaken to discover whether yields of tobacco tar in simulations of these habits might differ. It was found in various experiments that: (a) Smoking a given number of puffs over a long period of time results in greater tar retrieval than smoking them over a short period. (6) Tak ing most of the puffs at the end of the cigarette results in the highest tar retrieval, puffing at regular intervals throughout the life of the cigarette gives the next largest yield, and taking most puffs at the beginning, the smallest retrieval, (c) Puffs taken at the end of a cigarette yield about twice the tar of puffs taken at the beginning. Further research is being conducted on lung cancer and control patients to deter mine possible differences in the extent to which they exhibit high and low tar-retrieval models. A large number of investigations dealing with and controls. If certain methods were found to both animals and humans, retrospectively and characterize cancer cases more than controls, in prospectively, utilizing a variety of research de formation might be at hand out of which preven signs, and in several different countries have dis tive measures could be fashioned. If it were found, covered close relationships between cigarette furthermore, that those models of smoking be smoke and tars and the development of cancer at havior which are peculiar to lung cancer patients exposed sites. Data on patients at Roswell Park also expose the smoker to more tar, additional Memorial Institute are typical in showing a risk evidence would be available implicating tobacco of lung cancer approximately 6 times higher among tar as a carcinogen. Observations of individuals cigarette smokers than among nonsmokers (3). smoking cigarettes in public places such as bus, At the same time, it is observed that not all railroad, airline, and hospital waiting rooms, and smokers develop this disease. Smokers who do and in hotel lobbies in the Buffalo area, revealed that do not develop lung cancer are of interest because humans exhibit a number of variations in smoking knowledge of differences in their response to ciga behavior. Details of these variations will be de rette smoke, or in the methods of smoking they scribed in a later paper, but it can be noted here utilize, may further elucidate characteristics pre that there were large differences in the number of disposing to or protecting against lung cancer. puffs taken on a given cigarette by smokers, in Comparisons of nonsmokers who do or do not the length of time taken to smoke a cigarette to develop lung cancer of specific histologie types the point at which it is extinguished, and in the could be instructive in similar fashion. length of time taken to smoke a given number of The present research developed out of an in puffs. Furthermore, it was observed that the fre terest in the possible variations in methods uti quency of puffing often varied at different stages lized in smoking cigarettes by lung cancer cases in the smoking of a given cigarette. Three patterns * This research was supported in part by American Cancer ofpuffing behavior were observed :puffing at approx Society Grants E-58C, E-58D, and E-58E. imately equal frequency throughout the life of a Received for publication February 20, 1963. cigarette; taking puffs slowly at the beginning of 1025 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on October 8, 2021. © 1963 American Association for Cancer Research. 1026 Cancer Research Vol. 23, August 1963 the cigarette and increasing their frequency to the complete end of the cigarette. The cigarettes ward the end; and puffing most frequently imme were protected from drafts while burning, and diately after lighting the cigarette and gradually were extinguished after the last puff in a series. diminishing the frequency toward the end of the Butt length was recorded. A number of cigarettes cigarette. was smoked in each experiment to provide suffi After the discovery of these variations, further cient tar for accurate measurement and lessened studies were conducted to examine the extent to variation. Each experiment was completed in a which these variations characterized patients at single day to control factors such as daily varia Roswell Park Memorial Institute, as will be dis tions in humidity and the possible effect of such a cussed in a later paper. It was found that a given variation on tar retrieval. smoker fairly consistently exhibited a given kind The Ecusta Smoking Machine utilized in these of smoking behavior from one cigarette to another. experiments is of the analytic type and has the The conclusion that the patterns observed were capacity to produce smoke under a variety of probably real led us to begin two types of studies : controlled conditions (5). Twenty cigarettes can first, a comparison of the smoking patterns of lung be puffed serially for 2 seconds each. To achieve cancer and control patients to discover whether variations in frequency, the cigarettes were moved differences in smoking patterns might exist, and to different positions manually in sequences I-V. second, a simulation of the various patterns on an A small amount of smoke was lost in this process. analytic smoking machine to determine whether Although this loss was equally distributed among the yield of tar from smoking according to each experimental groups, in later sequences the hoses pattern varies. The first study continues. The leading from the piston to the smoking positions present paper reports on the second. Briefly, it was were moved from position to position, as the found that smoking a given number of puffs over design demanded, with minimal loss of smoke. a long period of time yields more tar than smoking The machine was adjusted to give a puff volume them over a short period, that increasing puffing of 35 ml. in 2 seconds. frequency toward the end of a cigarette results in In sequences I-III, and the first two experi more tar than smoking more frequently at the ments of sequences IV and V, the tar was obtained beginning, and that puffs taken toward the end through condensing it at —70°C. in a helical of a cigarette contain more tar than those taken glass coil surrounded by dry ice in alcohol. This at the beginning. was washed out with 25 ml. of 3:2 alcohol :toluene and the solvent evaporated in a 50°-60°C.oven MATERIALS AND METHODS for 5 hours to obtain dry tar weight. Optical densi Sequences of experiments, to be described in the ty of the tar solution was also measured, at 375 findings, were utilized to examine the tar yields m/i. In subsequent experiments, the collecting coil of various models of smoking behavior. Through was replaced by two filling funnels. Without alter out these experiments one brand of cigarette was ation of its temperature the smoke was drawn utilized. Before a given experiment, a carton was through a Cambridge filter1 clamped between the selected from a stored lot, and enough packages tops of the funnels. The filters were weighed be chosen from the carton to provide cigarettes fore and after the tar was trapped on them. Only meeting the conditions of the research. One of filters of similar weight prior to use were employed these was that, when the air resistance of the in the experiments. It was found that all three cigarette was measured, the negative pressure methods of measuring tar gave comparable results. required to draw 17.5 ml/sec of air through the The experiments of sequences I, III, VII, and cigarette was between 2 and 2£inches of water. VIII were pilot experiments in that it was in these Those outside the range were discarded as were that the above-mentioned methods were devel cigarettes outside the weight range of .948-1.01 oped. The findings in them are deemed to be either gm. Those of like weights within that range were incomplete or unreliable. This paper, therefore, allocated to each of the experimental groups. reports only on experiments in sequences II, IV- Subsequent to measuring air resistance and VI, IX, and X. weighing, in all sequences except II, IV, and V, RESULTS cigarettes were individually wrapped in aluminum Sequences IV and V.—The hypothesis to be foil and put aside in order of weight until use on tested in these sequences of experiments was that the same day. Cigarettes were always inserted into smoking a given number of puffs over a long the smoking machine receptacles with the brand period of time provides a greater yield of tar than name out. They were carefully ignited with an electric lighter so as to obtain a uniform light over 1Filter Media 101, Cambridge Filter Corp., Syracuse, N.Y. Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on October 8, 2021. © 1963 American Association for Cancer Research. GRAHAMetal.—TobaccoTar from Smoking Machine 1027 the same number of puffs taken over a short cigarette smoking would result in different re period of time. trievals of tar. The models were : Cigarettes in sequence IV were smoked for 12 1. Taking most puffs at the beginning of the minutes, over which time seven puffs were taken cigarette—specifically, of a total of twelve puffs, at regular intervals of 2 minutes between puffs. taking the first seven in the first 2 minutes after Those in sequence V were also puffed 7 times but lighting, the next four puffs in regular intervals at equal 1-minute intervals and over a period of over 4 minutes, waiting 2 minutes, and taking the 6 minutes.