NICOTINE DETERMINATION FROM TABACCO
BY GC/MS
DOINA ŞPAIUC1,3, ADRIAN ŞPAC2, LUMINIŢA AGOROAEI1,
ELENA BUTNARU1*
University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Grigore T. Popa", Faculty of
Pharmacy, 16 University Street, 700115, Iaşi, Romania
1 Department of Toxicology
2 Department of Physical Chemistry,
3 Emergency Military Hospital, Iaşi
*corresponding author: ebutnaru_2000@yahoo.com
Download Full Article

Abstract:

The paper presents the results of the quantitative determination of nicotine in 39
tobacco samples and tobacco products through the practical application of a validated
GC/MS method. The isolation of nicotine was performed by extraction with
methanol/dichloromethane 1/1 (v/v) and it was analysed by GC/MS using a DB 5 MS
column (30 m x 0.25 mm, 0.25 μm), carrier gas helium; the detection was performed by
mass spectrometry, MSD’s (mass spectrometric detector) source temperature was 230°C
and the MSD’s quadrupole temperature was fixed at 150°C, in SCAN mode. The method’s
validation was performed through the parameters: linearity, accuracy, precision, limits of
detection and quantification. The values of nicotine content determined in cigarettes (31
samples) ranged between 10.14 and 21.15 mg nicotine/g of tobacco, with the average
15.35; the concentrations in cigars and pipe tobacco (6 samples) ranged between 13.15–
28.38 mg nicotine/g of tobacco (average 22); in tobacco leaves, the registered average
content of nicotine was 26.79 mg /g of tobacco.

Top