Gas/particle partitioning of two acid-base active compounds in mainstream tobacco smoke: nicotine and ammonia.

Gas/particle (G/P) partitioning constant (Kp) values are reported for nicotine and ammonia for mainstream tobacco smoke (MTS) for a selection of cigarettes, "little cigars", and biddies. As K(p)(nic) decreases as a result of the increasing basicity in the MTS, there is an increase in volatility of nicotine from the smoke particulate matter. The "little cigars" and biddies exhibited generally lower K(p)(nic) values and higher unbound ammonia levels than most of the cigarettes, suggesting a correlation between the two parameters. However, within just the cigarettes, there was little correlation. The water content of MTS particulate matter was found to affect both K(p)(nic) and K(p)(amm). Unbound ammonia is actual NH3/NH4+; bound ammonia is comprised of compounds such as amides of ammonia; total ammonia is unbound + bound. Most historical studies of ammonia in MTS have not accurately measured either unbound or total ammonia: the acidic solutions historically employed to determine ammonia in MTS will release ammonia from bound forms by hydrolysis, and the release in those studies may not have been complete. This study concludes that a thorough examination of unbound and bound ammonia in MTS will be required before the role of ammonia in affecting volatility of nicotine in MTS can be understood.