Name: Subject: CHEM 1103L Schedule:

Report Sheet #8

DETERMINATION OF AIR POLLUTANTS (NOx) IN CIGARETTE SMOKE

Data Sheet

Name of Equipment: uv-vis spectrophotometer

Wavelength used: 550.0 nm

Concentration of standards (ppm) Absorbance reading

a. Blank 0.0 0.0

B. 0.0075 0.085

C. 0.0150 0.181

D. 0.0225 0.244

E. 0.0300 0.358

F. 0.0375 0.388

G. 0.0600 0.601

Sample Absorbance reading Calculated NOx in the sample ()

Malboro 0.222 3.371 μg NOx / L

Mighty 0.179 5.2125 μg NOx / L

Graph and Computation

a. Construct a calibration curve using the standards concentration and its absorbance readings.
Determine the equation of the line.

Graph
EQUATION OF THE LINE

y=9.69x + 0.031

b. Using the equation of the line, calculate the amount of concentration in the sample.

Marlboro Cigarette
Computation:
y = 9.69x + 0.031
0.222 = 19.69x + 0.031
19.69x = 0.222 - 0.031
x = (0.222 - 0.031) / 19.69
x = 0.0097

μg NOx / L = ( μg NO-2 / mL ) (1.39 mol NO2 / 1 mol NO-2 ) ( Vsol / Vgas ) (1000 mL / 1L)
= (0.0097 / mL) (1.39 mol NO2 / 1 mol NO-2 ) ( 10 mL/ 40 mL ) (1000 mL / 1L)
μg NOx / L = 3.371
Mighty Cigarette
Computation:
y = 9.69x + 0.031
0.179 = 19.69x + 0.031
9.69x = 0.179 - 0.031
x = (0.179 - 0.031) / 9.69
x = 0.015

μg NOx / L = ( μg NO-2 / mL ) (1.39 mol NO2 / 1 mol NO-2 ) ( Vsol / Vgas ) (1000 mL / 1L)
= (0.015 / mL) (1.39 mol NO2 / 1 mol NO-2 ) ( 10 mL/ 40 mL ) (1000 mL / 1L)
μg NOx / L = 5.2125

Post-lab questions:

1. What is the nitrite concentration of cigarette smoke? What is the safe level of nitrite set by the
World Health Organization (WHO)?

A single cigarette significantly decreased nitrate and nitrite plasma concentrations by 3.5 +/-1.2
and 3.4 +/- 1.1 micromol/L, compared with plasma concentrations at presmoking and sham smoking,
respectively. The safe level of nitrite set by the World Health Organization is an acceptable daily intake
(ADI) for nitrate of 0-3.7 milligrams (mg) nitrate ion/kilogram (kg) body weight.

2. Differentiate first hand, second and third hand tobacco smoke. What are some of its health
effects?

First hand smoke is the smoke inhaled by the smoker. Second hand smoke is the smoke exhaled
by the smoker and other substances emanating from the burning cigarette that can get inhaled by others,
and third hand smoke is the second hand smoke that gets left on surfaces of objects that age over time
and become progressively more toxic. Tobacco is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality in those
involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking has a
large impact on people of all ages.In infancy, there is a low birth weight and can cause death to the infant.
In childhood, there is a high chance of middle ear infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, induction and
exacerbation of asthma. Lastly, for adults, there is a higher chance of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer,
cervical cancer, nasal cancer, increased bronchial responsiveness and miscarriage. These are only few
of the long term negative effects of tobacco smoke towards first, second and third hand smokers.

3. Cite ways to minimize the effects of these air pollutants.

Tobacco control policies aim to reduce morbidity and mortality from smoking and to reduce
inequalities by encouraging quitting, preventing uptake of smoking, reducing exposure to environmental
tobacco smoking and reducing consumption amongst continuing smokers. Due to the delayed health
impacts of smoking, policies that simply stop young people taking up the habit will not reap benefits for a
few decades. To have an impact in the next few decades, policies need to get adult smokers to quit.

4. Enumerate other applications of the measurement of nitrite using the Saltzman reaction.
The Saltman reaction has been constantly applied to determining nitrite in things such as food
and water. The Griess test is one of the most common tests that use the Saltzman reaction in determining
the measurement of nitrite. The Griess test is an analytical chemistry test which detects the presence
of nitrite ion in solution. One of its most important uses is the determination of nitrite in drinking
water. The Griess diazotization reaction, on which the Griess reagent relies, was first described in
1858 by Peter Griess. The test has also been widely used for the detection of nitrates, which are
common component of explosives, as they can be converted to nitrites and detected with the Griess
test.