Tobacco-specific nitrosamines in mainstream smoke of West German cigarettes--tar alone is not a sufficient index for the carcinogenic potential of cigarette smoke.

Fifty-five types of commercial cigarettes on the West German market were analyzed for tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in mainstream smoke. The cigarettes included filter and nonfilter cigarettes with very high, high, medium, low and ultra-low tar and nicotine yields. The observed range for N'-nitrosonornicotine was from 5 to 625 ng/cigarette and for 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone from not detected (less than 4 ng/cigarette) to 432 ng/cigarette. The highest TSNA values were obtained for nonfilter cigarettes made of dark tobaccos and the lowest values for nonfilter Oriental-type cigarettes. Relatively high TSNA yields were also observed in filter cigarettes with moderate and lower tar deliveries. The results demonstrated that there is no correlation between TSNA and tar deliveries in mainstrain smoke. The TSNA deliveries in mainstream smoke depended on the actual tobacco composition. According to these results the tar delivery, although crucial, is not a sufficient index for the biological activity and the carcinogenic potential of cigarette smoke.