Breath analysis smokers

Buszewski, B., Ulanowska, A., Ligor, T., Denderz, N., Amann, A. Analysis of exhaled breath from smokers, passive smokers and non-smokers by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Biomed. Chromatogr. 23, 551-556 (2008)... 

Non-invasive PTR-MS sampling for medical applications has been used for the analysis of urine from non-smokers and habitual smokers [ 1 ]. Earlier breath analysis studies had already demonstrated that the acetonitrile level is elevated in the breath of smokers. The aim of this later study was to ascertain whether acetonitrile could also be detected in the headspace of urine and, if so, whether elevated levels are found for smokers. The study included 101 volunteers (57 men and 44 women) and the conclusion was that elevated acetonitrile levels are found in the urine of smokers. The mean (standard deviation) acetonitrile concentration in the headspace above urine of 46 non-smokers was 3.7 (1.8) ppbv, whereas for heavy smokers (defined as someone who smokes more than 30 cigarettes per day) it was found to be 28.0 (5.4) ppbv. An interesting point raised by the authors of this work was whether the increased levels of acetonitrile in the urine of smokers is a contributing factor leading to the known increase in bladder cancer for smokers compared to non-smokers. 

Basanta, M. Jarvis, R.M. Xu, Y Blackburn, G. Tal-Singer, R. Woodcock, A. Singh, D. Goodacre, R. Thomas, C.L.P. Fowler, S.J., Non-invasive metabolomic analysis of breath using differential mobility spectrometry in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and healthy smokers. Analyst, 2010,135, 318-320. 

Subsequent work by Lirk et al. aimed to more accurately quantify recent smoking behaviour by measuring exhaled concentration levels of acetonitrile in 268 volunteers (48 smokers and 220 non-smokers) attending a local health fair [31]. Again smokers were shown to have elevated levels of acetonitrile in their breath and it was therefore confirmed that analysis of acetonitrile on breath can be used as a procedure to determine if someone had recently been smoking. 

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