doc-alert

Anne LandmanPosting Date:  Friday, January 30, 2004
      Methyl Isocyanate in Cigarette Smoke and Its Retention by An
Adsorption-Type Filter 

      Company/Source:  Liggett & Myers document found in the American Tobacco
Co. collection
      Document Date: 1964
      Length: 1 page
      Bates No. ATX02 0060003   
      URL: http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/60023940.html 
      PDF Version:
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=hqt80a00&fmt=pdf&ref=results 

         This 1-page document produced by the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company's
Research Department identifies methyl isocyanate as a component in the smoke of
commercial cigarettes.  The Liggett document reports that,
        "Methyl isocyanate was identified and quantitatively determined in the
smoke gases of 85 mm long commercial cigarettes..."

           The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Toxics web page
describes methyl isocyanate as used to produce carbamate pesticides and the
chemical responsible for killing over 2,000 people and injuring 170,000 more in
the Union Carbide gas disaster Bhopal, India in 1984.  EPA's description of the
chemical states:

         "Methyl isocyanate is used to produce carbamate pesticides.  Methyl
isocyanate is extremely toxic to humans from acute (short-term) exposure.  In
Bhopal, India, accidental acute inhalation exposure to methyl isocyanate
resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people and adverse health effects in
greater than 170,000 survivors. Pulmonary [lung] edema was the probable cause of
death in most cases, with many deaths resulting from secondary respiratory
infections.  Survivors continue to exhibit damage to the lungs and eyes."
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/methylis.html

           The report was produced by Liggett in 1964, the same year the U.S.
Surgeon General came out with its landmark report linking cigarette smoke with
disease.
     
            Quotes:

              Methyl isocyanate...was identified and quantitatively determined
in the smoke gases of 85 mm long commercial cigarettes. Similar quantitative
determinations were also made on the smoke of cigarettes made from pure Bright,
Burley and Turkish tobaccos.

              Methyl isocyanate was isolated from the -80 degree C condensable
smoke gases by gas liquid chromatography...

           
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            Company: Liggett & Myers (Source of Document:  American Tobacco Co.
collection) 
            Author: Philippe RJ- Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. . Research Dept.
            Honeycutt. RG, Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. Research Dept. 
            Recipient: Presumed recipient Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company,
Durham, North Carolina 
            Region: United States 
            Litigation: 10004026 
            Type: Abstracts
            Legal 
            Subject: smoke constituents
            toxicology
            tobacco smoke
           

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Anne Landman, Tobacco Document Research Specialist
American Lung Association of Colorado

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