Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in heated tobacco product IQOS

Heated tobacco products (HTP) have an electrical heating component, like e-cigarettes, that heats processed tobacco to 350°C releasing volatile components that often are not detectable in e-cigarettes.1 Although many combustion by-products may be eliminated in HTP devices, nitrosamines are generated in the process of tobacco curing rather than during combustion, and may be transferred from the HTP into the aerosol that it generates.2–4 We hypothesised that HTP may be a significant source of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA). This pilot study determined TSNA yields in aerosol emitted from HTP in comparison to the electronic and tobacco cigarettes. HTP (IQOS; Amber, tobacco flavour), e-cigarettes (MarkTen; 3.5% nicotine, tobacco flavoured) and tobacco cigarettes (Marlboro Red 100) were tested using a Borgwaldt LX-1 smoking machine following the Health Canada Intense protocol (55 mL puff volume, 2 s duration, 30 s interval). Using this puffing protocol, we generated aerosol from a single HTP HeatStick (12 puffs), single tobacco cigarette (8 puffs) and from e-cigarette (55 puffs). We used different number of puffs for …