Chromatography, Absorption, and Fluorescence: A New Instrumental Analysis Experiment on the Measurement of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Cigarette Smoke

The recent approval by the American Chemical Society of an undergraduate chemistry degree with an option in environmental chemistry requires the development of new experiments that teach fundamental chemistry in the context of environmental issues. We present an experiment suitable for an undergraduate junior/senior-level instrumental analysis laboratory which illustrates the principles of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and its application to the identification and measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in tobacco smoke. Absorption and fluorescence detection methods for PAH, especially the differences in sensitivity and selectivity of these methods, are clearly demonstrated along with the basic principles of HPLC.