Quantification of Flavors, Volatile Organic Compounds, Tobacco Markers, and Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines in Heated Tobacco Products and Their Mainstream Aerosol

As an alternative to cigarettes, the sales of heated
tobacco products
(HTPs) have increased in the Japanese market. This may contribute
to improving a smoker’s health because the levels of most toxic
compoundssuch as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)in the mainstream of HTPs
are lower than those in cigarettes. However, the risks associated
with the flavors that provide attractive tastes to HTPs remain unknown.
We demonstrated that compared with cigarettes, HTPs reduce the health
risks associated with VOCs and TSNAs while achieving comparable nicotine
and flavor levels. The VOC and TSNA concentrations in the mainstream
aerosol of HTPs were 0.0039 (benzene)–0.53 (acetaldehyde) times
lower than those in cigarettes. Using HTPs may still pose adverse
noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic effects on human health, as indicated
by hazard quotients >1 for acrolein and acetaldehyde, margins of
exposure
<100 for (R)-(+)-limonene, and cancer risks >1.0
× 10–6 for acetaldehyde. Additionally, the
exhalation of mainstream aerosol may increase the indoor acrolein
concentration to 0.069 μg m–3, exceeding the
reference concentration for acrolein (0.02 μg m–3). Therefore, reducing acrolein concentrations is an effective measure
for improving the safety of HTP use.