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Stability Study for Reference Cigarette Tobacco Filler

Principal Investigator: Andrew Mooney and Matthew Walters

Funding Mechanism: Research Contract

ID number: HHSF223201310037I

Award Date: 5/19/2015

Institution: Labstat International

Little publicly-available information exists regarding the short- and long-term stability of cigarette tobacco filler.  Depending on storage conditions and packaging, the characteristics of the tobacco filler may change over time.  This project will determine the stability of cigarette tobacco filler at three-month intervals over a 12-month period of time for the certified reference material (SRM 3222) developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  Stability testing will include monitoring the effects of storage temperature and time on levels of three harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) -- nicotine, N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) -- as well as on moisture and pH in cigarette tobacco filler.  Stability testing will be conducted using validated, analytical methods.