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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

High Content Screening Analysis to Evaluate the Toxicological Effects of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents (HPHC)
Published on: May 10, 2016
Determination of hydrogen cyanide in cigarette mainstream smoke by LC/MS/MS
Nicolas Mottier1, Florent Jeanneret, Michel Rotach
1Philip Morris International R&D, Philip Morris Products S.A., Quai Jeanrenaud 5, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. nicolas.mottier@pmintl.com
Abstract:
An LC/MS/MS method is presented for the determination of hydrogen cyanide in cigarette mainstream smoke. Cyanide is derivatized with 2,3'-naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde and taurine to form a benzo[f]isoindole derivative, which is then analyzed by LC/MS/MS. Isotopic KCN (K13C15N) was used as an internal standard. The regression equation was linear within the range 2.4-331 ng/mL for cyanide with a correlation coefficient > 0.999. The LOD was calculated as 4.1 ng/cigarette. The influence of the sodium hydroxide trapping solution concentration on the results is discussed. A 1 M solution showed the best results in terms of sample stability and trapping efficiency. The method proved to be robust, reliable, and more selective than current methods, making it a logical choice for determination of total cyanide in cigarette smoke.
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