Assessment of toxicological validity using tobacco emission condensates: A comparative analysis of emissions and condensates from 3R4F reference cigarettes and heated tobacco products

The tobacco emission condensate, hereafter "tobacco condensate," is crucial for evaluating tobacco product toxicity. This condensate, derived from tobacco emissions, provides an optimized liquid concentrate for storage and concentration control. Thus, the validation of its constituents is vital for toxicity assessments. This study used tobacco condensates from 3R4F cigarettes and three heated tobacco product (HTP) variants to quantify and contrast organic compounds (OCs) therein. The hazard index (HI) for tobacco emissions and condensates was determined to ascertain the assessment validity. The total particulate matter (TPM) for 3R4F registered at 17,667 μg cig−1, with its total OC (TOC) at 3777 μg cig−1. HTPs' TPM and TOC were 9342 ± 1918 μg cig−1 and 5258 ± 593 μg stick−1, respectively. 3R4F's heightened TPM likely arises from tar, while HTPs' OC concentrations are influenced by vegetable glycerin (2236–2688 μg stick−1) and propylene glycol (589–610 μg stick−1). During condensation, a 71.5 % reduction in OC was observed for 3R4F versus HTPs' near-zero loss of –1.6 %, albeit with OC-type variations. The HI was marginally higher for emissions, ranging from 7.92 % (HTPs) to 18.6 % (3R4F). Meticulous OC recovery from smoke condensates enables tobacco condensates to provide reliable toxicological data on tobacco products.