Impact of cigarettes’ filter length and diameter on cigarette smoke emissions

Abstract Background This study assessed the impact of the diameter and length of different brands on the amount of tobacco in cigarettes and measured the effect of each millimeter length of cigarette filter on the absorption of chemical components in cigarette smoke. Methods We selected 11 common brands of domestic and foreign cigarettes, including Bahman-L, Bahman-S, Sater, Montana, Magna, Kent, Marlboro, Winston, Cima, Bistoon, and G1. We measured the length and diameter of each cigarette using a digital caliper with the sensitivity of 0.01 mm and the amount of tobacco using a digital weighing scale with the sensitivity of 0.0001 gm. We assessed the effect of each millimeter length of cigarette filter on the absorption of five known human carcinogens in cigarette smoke, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, benzene, and formaldehyde. Results The volume of cigarettes and the amount of tobacco was much more dependent on the diameter of cigarettes than their length. Only 1 to 2 mm reduction in the diameter of cigarettes can reduce the amount of tobacco in cigarettes by 20% to 40%, respectively. Moreover, each incremental increase of 1 mm of the length of cigarette filter increased the absorption of benzene, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and formaldehyde by 1.5%, 1.3%, 1.9%, 2.0%, and 0.7%, respectively. Conclusion A minor reduction in the diameter of cigarettes had a substantial impact on the amount of tobacco in each cigarette stick. Furthermore, the length of the cigarette filter had a significant effect on the absorption of the hazardous chemical components of cigarettes.