Overview
ISO 23920:2020 specifies a laboratory method for the quantification of ammonia in cigarette mainstream smoke using ion chromatography under an intense machine smoking regime (ISO 20778 parameters). The method targets ammonia yields of about 10 µg/cigarette to 40 µg/cigarette and explicitly excludes testing of dark‑air cured cigarettes. The procedure is intended for routine analytical testing and product characterization, using external standard calibration and defined trapping systems to collect smoke constituents.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope & limits: Applicable to mainstream smoke ammonia in the stated yield range; not for dark‑air cured tobacco.
- Smoking regime: Uses the ISO 20778 intense smoking parameters and refers to ISO 20779 for particulate matter collection.
- Sampling / trapping systems: Two validated collection approaches:
- Trapping system 1 - glass fibre filter pad (GFP/CFP) followed by impinger traps containing dilute sulphuric acid.
- Trapping system 2 - impregnated GFP followed by an untreated GFP, extracted with dilute hydrochloric acid.
- Analytical technique: Ion chromatography with a conductivity detector and suppressor; employs a cation‑exchange analytical column and external calibration with ammonium standards.
- Reagents & preparation: Specifies analytical‑grade reagents (ammonium sulfate, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, methanesulphonic acid, ethanol, deionized water) and precise eluent and standard preparation (e.g., MSA and sulphuric acid eluents).
- Instrumentation & apparatus: Routine analytical smoking machine, impinger setup, ion chromatography system, balances and standard labware.
- Quality & performance: Procedure includes calibration, calculations, and documented repeatability/reproducibility from interlaboratory studies (CORESTA basis). Safety warnings for hazardous materials and limits of machine smoking data are included.
Applications and Users
Who uses ISO 23920:2020:
- Tobacco testing laboratories performing emissions analysis and regulatory reporting.
- Product development teams assessing formulation or design impacts on ammonia yields.
- Regulatory bodies and conformity assessment organizations evaluating product characteristics.
- Research groups studying smoke chemistry under standardized intense smoking regimes.
Practical applications:
- Routine monitoring of ammonia in mainstream cigarette smoke for product characterization.
- Comparative testing across cigarette designs or blends (excluding dark‑air cured products).
- Generating standardized data for regulatory dossiers and scientific studies.
Note: Machine smoking regimes do not represent human exposure; results are intended for product characterization and regulatory use, not direct human risk or exposure quantification.
Related Standards
- ISO 20778 - Routine analytical cigarette‑smoking machine (intense regime)
- ISO 20779 - Generation and collection of total particulate matter (intense regime)
- ISO 3402 - Conditioning and testing atmosphere for tobacco
- ISO 8243 - Cigarettes - Sampling
Keywords: ISO 23920:2020, ammonia determination, cigarettes, ion chromatography, intense smoking regime, ISO 20778, mainstream smoke, trapping system, tobacco testing.
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