Mutagenicity of smoke condensates from cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco

Smoke condensates from cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco were mutagenic on Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 when activated with rat liver microsomal system. Mutagenicity of a unit weight of smoke condensate was rather high in cigars, low in pipe tobacco and intermediate in cigarettes. Specific mutagenic activity was almost comparable among smoke condensates from low- to high-tar cigarettes, although some variations were observed depending upon the country producing the cigarettes. Marked mutagenicity of cigarette smoke condensate could not be explained by the benzo (a) pyrene or nitroso compounds it actually contained, suggesting the presence of other very potent mutagens in tobacco smoke condensates.