In this study, methods validated for use on tobacco and traditional tobacco products, were investigated to determine their adequacy when applied to some additional matrix types.

The determination of nicotine was performed on a series of "dissolvable" tobacco products using Health Canada T-301. This methanolic potassium hydroxide (0.05N KOH) extraction method yielded lower than expected results. When repeated using the extraction defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), higher results were observed. Dependent on product type (matrix), results obtained using the T-301 method ranged from 29% to 100% of those obtained using the CDC methodology. This suggests either the composition of the product and/or the form of nicotine in the product can influence the extraction efficiency of the method and the results reported. Advances in instrumentation utilizing the same 'basic' technology can influence results. Tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) were determined in mainstream smoke and tobacco filler using three different LC-MS/MS systems (AB API3000, AB API3200, Waters Xevo UPLC). Each system was optimized using the same transitions and four deuterated analogues for the quantification of TSNA. Analysis of the same solutions from mainstream smoke and tobacco filler on each instrument, yielded comparable results for most TSNA. However, further investigation identified a consistent bias where the NAT results for tobacco filler averaged 12.6% lower than those determined on either API LC-MS/MS system. This bias was eliminated by performing a standard additions assay on each system suggesting specific instrument parameters can be matrix dependent.