Cigarette smoke carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, toxic gas. It is one of the most common poisons in the environment and is responsible for thousands of deaths and hospital emergency room visits each year in the United States. Carbon monoxide is produced from fuel-burning appliances, such as space heaters, furnaces, stoves, and vehicles. It is also a component of cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide is flammable and capable of forming an explosive mixture with air. 

Occurrence. Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion and is not likely to result where a flame bums in an abundant air supply, yet may result when a flame touches a cooler surface than the ignition temperature of the gas. Gas or coal heaters in the home and gas space heaters in industry have been frequent sources of carbon monoxide poisoning when not provided with effective vents. Gas heaters, though properly adjusted when installed, may become hazardous sources of carbon monoxide if maintained improperly. Automobile exhaust gas is perhaps the most familiar source of carbon monoxide exposure. The manufacture and use of synthesis gas, calcium carbide manufacture, distillation of coal or wood, combustion operations, heat treatment of metals, fire fighting, mining, and cigarette smoking represent additional sources of carbon monoxide exposure (105—107). 

Figure 3.7 An anti-smoking device the cigarette is inserted into the wider end. Partially oxidized carbon monoxide combines chemically with oxygen inside the device after leaving the end of the cigarette but before entering the smoker s mouth the oxygen necessary to effect this oxidation enters the device through the small circular holes positioned along its length...

Burton HR, Dye NK, Bush LP (1992) Distribution of tobacco constituents in tobacco leaf tissue, 1, Tobacco-specific nitrosamines, nitrate, nitrite and alkaloids, J Agric Food Chem 40 1050-1055 Burton HR, Dye NK, Bush LP (1994) Relationship between tobacco-specific nitrosamines and nitrite from different air cured tobacco varieties, J Agric Food Chem 42 2007-2011 Calafat AM, Polzin GM, Saylor J, Richter P, Ashley DL, Watson CH (2004) Determination of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields in the mainstream smoke of selected international cigarettes, Tob Control 13 45-51... 

Strasser AA, Herman C, Sanborn PM, Pickworth WB, Feldman EA (2007) New lower nicotine cigarettes can produce compensatory smoking and increased carbon monoxide exposure. Drug Alcohol Depend 86 294-300... 

National Cancer Institute (1996) The FTC cigarette test method for determining tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields of U.S. Cigarettes. Report of the NCI Expert Committee. Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph 7. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD... 

Smoking tobacco causes damage to endothelial cells due to free radicals present in tobacco smoke. It is estimated that each puff of a cigarette produces lO " free radicals. In addition, the resultant lack of oxygen causes damage or death to neurones, and nicotine and carbon monoxide, both present in tobacco smoke, cause an increase in blood pressure. 

Cigarette smoke contains a minute amount of polonium, along with many other carcinogenic chemicals, many of which can cause lung cancer. Over one hundred trace elements and compounds have been identified in cigarette smoke besides polonium. Some examples are nicotine, cresol, carbon monoxide, pyridine, and the carcinogenic compound benzopyrene. 

Among them are carbon monoxide, cyanide, benzopyrene, and tar, the same toxic chemicals present in cigarette smoke. (Some researchers feel that any beneficial effects that may be found in the medicinal use of marijuana are actually negated by the current lack of a suitable alternative delivery method.) Additionally, any pesticides sprayed on the plant by the grower are present in the smoke, and are inhaled along with the THC. 

Fig. 17 Carbon monoxide concentration traces for IM16 reference cigarette smoke runs a with 3-m multipass and b HWG gas cells (dashed line nondispersive IR (NDIR) analyzer, solid line FT-IR spectrometer using partial least-squares calibrations) [43]...

Cigarette smoke (nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic)... 

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