Overview
ISO 10315:2021 specifies a gas‑chromatographic method for the determination of nicotine in total particulate matter (TPM) collected from the mainstream smoke of cigarettes. Smoking and TPM collection are performed in accordance with ISO 4387. The method dissolves the TPM in an extraction solution containing an internal standard, separates nicotine by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (FID), and quantifies nicotine by calibration against reference solutions.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Quantitative determination of nicotine in TPM from mainstream cigarette smoke using GC‑FID.
- Sampling basis: TPM obtained using the ISO 4387 machine‑smoking regime. (Note: ISO 20778 and ISO 22253 cover intense smoking regimes.)
- Extraction: TPM dissolved in propan‑2‑ol containing an internal standard (typically n‑heptadecane or quinaldine), with recommended extraction volumes (e.g., 20 ml for 44 mm discs, 50 ml for 92 mm discs).
- Calibration: Series of at least four calibration solutions covering the expected nicotine range (commonly 0.02 mg/ml to 2.0 mg/ml); linear regression of area ratios (nicotine/internal standard) is used for quantitation.
- GC conditions (example operating parameters):
- Column temperature: 170 °C (isothermal)
- Injection temperature: 250 °C; detector (FID) temperature: 250 °C
- Carrier gas: helium, nitrogen, or hydrogen (~30 ml/min)
- Injection volume: 2 µl
- Typical analysis time: ~6–8 minutes
- Reagents and reference materials: High‑purity carrier gases, propan‑2‑ol (low water content), nicotine reference substance (≥98 % purity) stored at 0–4 °C and protected from light; internal standards at 0.2–0.5 mg/ml in extraction solution.
- Quality controls: Monitor internal standard peak consistency; allow refrigerated solutions to equilibrate to ambient temperature before use; follow documented calibration and reporting procedures.
Applications and users
This standard is intended for:
- Tobacco testing laboratories performing routine product characterization and quality control.
- Manufacturers assessing nicotine yields from cigarette designs during development.
- Regulatory bodies and compliance labs requiring standardized analytical methods for emissions reporting.
- Academic and industry researchers studying mainstream smoke composition and product comparisons.
Practical benefits include reproducible nicotine measurement in TPM, compatibility with standard machine‑smoking protocols, and integration with complementary analyses (e.g., water determination by ISO 10362‑1).
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 10315:2021, nicotine determination, gas chromatographic method, total particulate matter, mainstream smoke, cigarette testing, GC‑FID, tobacco analytical standard.
