Abstract
The following points were established by smoking experiments and screening tests using an inert gas phase with phenol for testing the adsorption capacity of filter materials. 1.Secondary cellulose acetate filters of commercial cigarettes exhibit an adsorption capacity for phenols from the smoke in the range of 60 to 72 per cent. Of this adsorptive capacity, approximately one half may be considered as specific adsorption of phenols as defined in text.2.Increased ''selective'' adsorption for phenols is obtained when polyethylene glycol is dusted on filter fibers of cellulose secondary acetate. When cellulose secondary acetate fiber is dusted with secondary acetate powder the removal of both phenol and particulate matter is increased significantly. 3.A cellulose triacetate with a grainy surface is superior to cellulose acetates with regular surfaces as a phenol adsorbing filter.4.Plasticizers improve phenol adsorption capacity. With the passage of time, diffusion and other yet undefined effects lessen their value. Suggestions have been made in terms of fiber structure and use of plasticizers which can lead to further improvement of filters in respect to phenol removal. It is possible to reduce the phenol in cigarette smoke up to 90 per cent through the use of selected filter fibers and plasticizers.5.The amounts of particulate matter and phenol released during the smoking of three equal (20 mm) sections of filter and non-filter cigarettes were determined in the mainstream smoke. When a filter cigarette is smoked down, increasing amounts of phenol are released from the tobacco and the ''selective'' adsorption of phenol by secondary cellulose acetate filter increases