Benzene and toluene are representative volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during production, storage, and transportation associated with the oil and gas industry. Benzene and toluene are chemicals of concern because they are released in greater and possibly more biologically significant concentrations than other compounds. <p>Most studies of air pollution in high oil and gas activity areas have neglected to consider risks to top-level predators. Birds can be used as highly sensitive monitors of air quality. Since the avian respiratory tract is physiologically different from a rodent respiratory tract, effects of gases cannot be safely extrapolated from rodent studies. I hypothesized that benzene, being haematotoxic and immunotoxic, along with the neurological and possible endocrine disrupting effects of toluene would be more toxic in birds than in mammals. <p>After two summers of experimental exposure of wild and captive American kestrels to high (10ppm and 80ppm) or environmentally relevant (0.1ppm and 0.8ppm) levels of benzene and toluene, respectively, altered immune, haematopoeitic, behavioural, and endocrine responses characteristic in mammals, were evident in the kestrels.<p>There was a decreased cell mediated immune response as measured by delayed type hypersensitivity tests in all exposed birds (p = 0.028, 0.004). An increase in humoral immunity as compared to control individuals (p = 0.041, 0.031) was also apparent in both dose groups. Plasma retinol levels were decreased in 2005 and 2006 high dose individuals (p = 0.008, 0.048). <p>The majority of haematopoeitic effects involved the erythroid lineage in the bone marrow and the polychromatophilic erythrocytes systemically. There were no significantly adverse responses in the bone marrow with regards to the granuloid lineage but systemically there was a prominent eosinophilia (p = 0.045) and basophilia (p = 0.006) in low exposure groups. The loss of communication between polychromatophilic erythrocytes in the post-mitotic pool within the bone marrow and the peripheral blood was present in low and high exposure individuals compared to control birds (p = 0.013, 0.402, 0.974). The number of polychromatophils in the circulation of low dose group individuals was decreased compared to control birds (p = 0.029). This may be a function of toluenes inability to inhibit biotransformation enzymes at low concentrations leading to blood cell targeting by benzenes increased phenolic metabolite production. This theory is corroborated by the possible decreased benzene metabolism and increased toluene distribution manifesting as increased aggressive responses such as wing beating and vocalization time in the high dose group (p = 0.025, 0.086). <p>The work here has shown American kestrels are sensitive to the air contaminants, benzene and toluene. The present study illustrates the need for reference concentrations for airborne pollutants that are calculated based on data measuring sensitive endpoints specific for avian models. Future studies should evaluate immune, haematopoeitic, and behavioural endpoints, as well as develop more sensitive isoform specific enzyme activity assays to further determine the susceptibility of birds to inhaled toxicants.

Benzene and toluene are representative volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during production, storage, and transportation associated with the oil and gas industry. Benzene and toluene are chemicals of concern because they are released in greater and possibly more biologically significant concentrations than other compounds. <p>Most studies of air pollution in high oil and gas activity areas have neglected to consider risks to top-level predators. Birds can be used as highly sensitive monitors of air quality. Since the avian respiratory tract is physiologically different from a rodent respiratory tract, effects of gases cannot be safely extrapolated from rodent studies. I hypothesized that benzene, being haematotoxic and immunotoxic, along with the neurological and possible endocrine disrupting effects of toluene would be more toxic in birds than in mammals. <p>After two summers of experimental exposure of wild and captive American kestrels to high (10ppm and 80ppm) or environmentally relevant (0.1ppm and 0.8ppm) levels of benzene and toluene, respectively, altered immune, haematopoeitic, behavioural, and endocrine responses characteristic in mammals, were evident in the kestrels.<p>There was a decreased cell mediated immune response as measured by delayed type hypersensitivity tests in all exposed birds (p = 0.028, 0.004). An increase in humoral immunity as compared to control individuals (p = 0.041, 0.031) was also apparent in both dose groups. Plasma retinol levels were decreased in 2005 and 2006 high dose individuals (p = 0.008, 0.048). <p>The majority of haematopoeitic effects involved the erythroid lineage in the bone marrow and the polychromatophilic erythrocytes systemically. There were no significantly adverse responses in the bone marrow with regards to the granuloid lineage but systemically there was a prominent eosinophilia (p = 0.045) and basophilia (p = 0.006) in low exposure groups. The loss of communication between polychromatophilic erythrocytes in the post-mitotic pool within the bone marrow and the peripheral blood was present in low and high exposure individuals compared to control birds (p = 0.013, 0.402, 0.974). The number of polychromatophils in the circulation of low dose group individuals was decreased compared to control birds (p = 0.029). This may be a function of toluenes inability to inhibit biotransformation enzymes at low concentrations leading to blood cell targeting by benzenes increased phenolic metabolite production. This theory is corroborated by the possible decreased benzene metabolism and increased toluene distribution manifesting as increased aggressive responses such as wing beating and vocalization time in the high dose group (p = 0.025, 0.086). <p>The work here has shown American kestrels are sensitive to the air contaminants, benzene and toluene. The present study illustrates the need for reference concentrations for airborne pollutants that are calculated based on data measuring sensitive endpoints specific for avian models. Future studies should evaluate immune, haematopoeitic, and behavioural endpoints, as well as develop more sensitive isoform specific enzyme activity assays to further determine the susceptibility of birds to inhaled toxicants.

O verapamil (VER) é um composto quiral comercializado como mistura racêmica dos enantiômeros (+)-(R)-VER e (-)-(S)-VER. O VER é biotransformado em norverapamil (NOR) e em outros metabólitos por vias dependentes do CYP. O tolueno e o n-hexano são solventes orgânicos que podem alterar o metabolismo de medicamentos dependente do CYP. Assim, o estudo investiga a estereosseletividade na farmacocinética do verapamil administrado a ratos na dose de 10 mg kg-1, sob forma racêmica, e do seu metabólito, norverapamil, bem como a influência do n-hexano e do tolueno na disposição cinética dos enantiômeros (+)-(R) e (-)-(S)-VER e (R)- e (S)-norverapamil em animais tratados com os solventes por inalação em câmara de exposição do tipo nose only nas concentrações de 88, 176 e 352 mg/m3 para o n-hexano e 94, 188 e 376 mg/m3 para o tolueno. Os enantiômeros do VER e do NOR foram separados na coluna de fase quiral Chiralpak® AD e analisados por LC-MS/MS (m/z = 441,3->165,5 para os enantiômeros do norverapamil e m/z 455,3->165,5 para os enantiômeros do verapamil). A análise farmacocinética foi realizada com base no modelo monocompartimental. A farmacocinética do verapamil é estereosseletiva em ratos do grupo controle não tratado com os solventes com acúmulo plasmático do eutômero (-)-(S)-VER (AUC0-? = 250,8 vs 120,4 ng mL-1 h; P<=0,05, teste de Wilcoxon). O metabólito (S)-NOR também foi acumulado no plasma dos animais do grupo controle com razão S/R relativa ao parâmetro AUC0-? de 1,5. Os parâmetros farmacocinéticos AUC0-?, Cl/F, Vd/F e t1/2 relativos aos enantiômeros (-)-S e (+)-(R)-VER e aos enantiômeros (S) e (R)-NOR não foram alterados pela exposição em câmara de exposição do tipo nose only ao n-hexano nas concentrações de 88, 176 e 352 mg/m3 e ao tolueno nas concentrações de 94, 188 e 376 mg/m3; teste de Kruskall-Wallis; P<=0,05. No entanto, a exposição ao n-hexano nas concentrações de 176 mg/m3 e 352 mg/m3 e ao tolueno nas concentrações de 94 mg/m3, 188 mg/m3 e 376 mg/m3 resultou em perda da enantiosseletividade observada para o grupo controle. / Verapamil (VER) is a chiral compound which is commercialized as a racemic mixture of the (+)-(R)-VER and (-)-(S)-VER enantiomers. VER is biotransformed into norverapamil (NOR) and other metabolites through CYP-dependent pathways. Toluene and n-hexane are organic solvents that can alter the metabolism of CYP-dependent drugs. The present study investigated the stereoselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of racemic VER administered to rats at a dose of 10 mg kg-1 and of its metabolite NOR. In addition, the influence of n-hexane and toluene on the kinetic disposition of the (+)-(R) and (-)-(S)-VER and (R)- and (S)-NOR enantiomers was analyzed in animals exposed by nose-only inhalation to n-hexane at concentrations of 88, 176 and 352 mg/m3 and to toluene at concentrations of 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3. The VER and NOR enantiomers were separated on a Chiralpak® AD chiral phase column and analyzed by LC-MS/MS (m/z = 441.3->165.5 for the NOR enantiomers and m/z 455.3->165.5 for the VER enantiomers). Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a monocompartmental model. The pharmacokinetics of VER was stereoselective in control rats not treated with the solvents, with plasma accumulation of the (-)-(S)-VER eutomer (AUC0-? = 250.8 vs 120.4 ng mL-1 h; P<=0.05, Wilcoxon test). The (S)-NOR metabolite was also found to accumulate in plasma of control animals, with an S/R AUC0-? ratio of 1.5. The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC0-?, Cl/F, Vd/F and t1/2 obtained for the (-)-S-VER, (+)-(R)-VER, (S)-NOR and (R)-NOR enantiomers were not altered by nose-only exposure to n-hexane at concentrations of 88, 176 and 352 mg/m3 or to toluene at concentrations of 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3 (P<=0.05), Kruskal-Wallis test). However, exposure to 176 and 352 mg/m3 n-hexane and to 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3 toluene resulted in the loss of enantioselectivity observed for the control group.

O verapamil (VER) é um composto quiral comercializado como mistura racêmica dos enantiômeros (+)-(R)-VER e (-)-(S)-VER. O VER é biotransformado em norverapamil (NOR) e em outros metabólitos por vias dependentes do CYP. O tolueno e o n-hexano são solventes orgânicos que podem alterar o metabolismo de medicamentos dependente do CYP. Assim, o estudo investiga a estereosseletividade na farmacocinética do verapamil administrado a ratos na dose de 10 mg kg-1, sob forma racêmica, e do seu metabólito, norverapamil, bem como a influência do n-hexano e do tolueno na disposição cinética dos enantiômeros (+)-(R) e (-)-(S)-VER e (R)- e (S)-norverapamil em animais tratados com os solventes por inalação em câmara de exposição do tipo nose only nas concentrações de 88, 176 e 352 mg/m3 para o n-hexano e 94, 188 e 376 mg/m3 para o tolueno. Os enantiômeros do VER e do NOR foram separados na coluna de fase quiral Chiralpak® AD e analisados por LC-MS/MS (m/z = 441,3->165,5 para os enantiômeros do norverapamil e m/z 455,3->165,5 para os enantiômeros do verapamil). A análise farmacocinética foi realizada com base no modelo monocompartimental. A farmacocinética do verapamil é estereosseletiva em ratos do grupo controle não tratado com os solventes com acúmulo plasmático do eutômero (-)-(S)-VER (AUC0-? = 250,8 vs 120,4 ng mL-1 h; P<=0,05, teste de Wilcoxon). O metabólito (S)-NOR também foi acumulado no plasma dos animais do grupo controle com razão S/R relativa ao parâmetro AUC0-? de 1,5. Os parâmetros farmacocinéticos AUC0-?, Cl/F, Vd/F e t1/2 relativos aos enantiômeros (-)-S e (+)-(R)-VER e aos enantiômeros (S) e (R)-NOR não foram alterados pela exposição em câmara de exposição do tipo nose only ao n-hexano nas concentrações de 88, 176 e 352 mg/m3 e ao tolueno nas concentrações de 94, 188 e 376 mg/m3; teste de Kruskall-Wallis; P<=0,05. No entanto, a exposição ao n-hexano nas concentrações de 176 mg/m3 e 352 mg/m3 e ao tolueno nas concentrações de 94 mg/m3, 188 mg/m3 e 376 mg/m3 resultou em perda da enantiosseletividade observada para o grupo controle. / Verapamil (VER) is a chiral compound which is commercialized as a racemic mixture of the (+)-(R)-VER and (-)-(S)-VER enantiomers. VER is biotransformed into norverapamil (NOR) and other metabolites through CYP-dependent pathways. Toluene and n-hexane are organic solvents that can alter the metabolism of CYP-dependent drugs. The present study investigated the stereoselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of racemic VER administered to rats at a dose of 10 mg kg-1 and of its metabolite NOR. In addition, the influence of n-hexane and toluene on the kinetic disposition of the (+)-(R) and (-)-(S)-VER and (R)- and (S)-NOR enantiomers was analyzed in animals exposed by nose-only inhalation to n-hexane at concentrations of 88, 176 and 352 mg/m3 and to toluene at concentrations of 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3. The VER and NOR enantiomers were separated on a Chiralpak® AD chiral phase column and analyzed by LC-MS/MS (m/z = 441.3->165.5 for the NOR enantiomers and m/z 455.3->165.5 for the VER enantiomers). Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a monocompartmental model. The pharmacokinetics of VER was stereoselective in control rats not treated with the solvents, with plasma accumulation of the (-)-(S)-VER eutomer (AUC0-? = 250.8 vs 120.4 ng mL-1 h; P<=0.05, Wilcoxon test). The (S)-NOR metabolite was also found to accumulate in plasma of control animals, with an S/R AUC0-? ratio of 1.5. The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC0-?, Cl/F, Vd/F and t1/2 obtained for the (-)-S-VER, (+)-(R)-VER, (S)-NOR and (R)-NOR enantiomers were not altered by nose-only exposure to n-hexane at concentrations of 88, 176 and 352 mg/m3 or to toluene at concentrations of 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3 (P<=0.05), Kruskal-Wallis test). However, exposure to 176 and 352 mg/m3 n-hexane and to 94, 188 and 376 mg/m3 toluene resulted in the loss of enantioselectivity observed for the control group.

La fumée du tabac est un aérosol extrêmement complexe constitué de milliers de composés répartis entre la phase particulaire et la phase vapeur. Il a été démontré que les effets toxicologiques de cette fumée sont associés aux composés appartenant aux deux phases. Plusieurs composés biologiquement actifs ont été identifiés dans la fumée du tabac; cependant, il n’y a pas d’études démontrant la relation entre les réponses biologiques obtenues via les tests in vitro ou in vivo et les composés présents dans la fumée entière du tabac. Le but de la présente recherche est de développer des méthodes fiables et robustes de fractionnement de la fumée à l’aide de techniques de séparation analytique et de techniques de détection combinés à des essais in vitro toxicologiques. Une étude antérieure réalisée par nos collaborateurs a démontré que, suite à l’étude des produits de combustion de douze principaux composés du tabac, l’acide chlorogénique s’est avéré être le composé le plus cytotoxique selon les test in vitro du micronoyau. Ainsi, dans cette étude, une méthode par chromatographie préparative en phase liquide a été développée dans le but de fractionner les produits de combustion de l’acide chlorogénique. Les fractions des produits de combustion de l’acide chlorogénique ont ensuite été testées et les composés responsables de la toxicité de l’acide chlorogénique ont été identifiés. Le composé de la sous-fraction responsable en majeure partie de la cytoxicité a été identifié comme étant le catéchol, lequel fut confirmé par chromatographie en phase liquide/ spectrométrie de masse à temps de vol. Des études récentes ont démontré les effets toxicologiques de la fumée entière du tabac et l’implication spécifique de la phase vapeur. C’est pourquoi notre travail a ensuite été focalisé principalement à l’analyse de la fumée entière. La machine à fumer Borgwaldt RM20S® utilisée avec les chambres d’exposition cellulaire de British American Tobacco permettent l’étude in vitro de l’exposition de cellules à différentes concentrations de fumée entière du tabac. Les essais biologiques in vitro ont un degré élevé de variabilité, ainsi, il faut prendre en compte toutes les autres sources de variabilité pour évaluer avec précision la finalité toxicologique de ces essais; toutefois, la fiabilité de la génération de la fumée de la machine n’a jamais été évaluée jusqu’à maintenant. Nous avons donc déterminé la fiabilité de la génération et de la dilution (RSD entre 0,7 et 12 %) de la fumée en quantifiant la présence de deux gaz de référence (le CH4 par détection à ionisation de flamme et le CO par absorption infrarouge) et d’un composé de la phase particulaire, le solanesol (par chromatographie en phase liquide à haute performance). Ensuite, la relation entre la dose et la dilution des composés de la phase vapeur retrouvée dans la chambre d’exposition cellulaire a été caractérisée en utilisant une nouvelle technique d’extraction dite par HSSE (Headspace Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction) couplée à la chromatographie en phase liquide/ spectrométrie de masse. La répétabilité de la méthode a donné une valeur de RSD se situant entre 10 et 13 % pour cinq des composés de référence identifiés dans la phase vapeur de la fumée de cigarette. La réponse offrant la surface maximale d’aire sous la courbe a été obtenue en utilisant les conditions expérimentales suivantes : intervalle de temps d’exposition/ désorption de 10 0.5 min, température de désorption de 200°C pour 2 min et température de concentration cryogénique (cryofocussing) de -75°C. La précision de la dilution de la fumée est linéaire et est fonction de l’abondance des analytes ainsi que de la concentration (RSD de 6,2 à 17,2 %) avec des quantités de 6 à 450 ng pour les composés de référence. Ces résultats démontrent que la machine à fumer Borgwaldt RM20S® est un outil fiable pour générer et acheminer de façon répétitive et linéaire la fumée de cigarette aux cultures cellulaires in vitro. Notre approche consiste en l’élaboration d’une méthodologie permettant de travailler avec un composé unique du tabac, pouvant être appliqué à des échantillons plus complexes par la suite ; ex : la phase vapeur de la fumée de cigarette. La méthodologie ainsi développée peut potentiellement servir de méthode de standardisation pour l’évaluation d’instruments ou de l’identification de produits dans l’industrie de tabac. / Tobacco smoke is an extremely complex aerosol composed of thousands of constituents distributed amongst the particulate and vapor phases. Toxicological effects have been linked to compounds present in both of these phases. Many biologically active compounds have been identified within tobacco smoke; however, there is a lack of studies correlating specific in vitro or in vivo biological responses to components within whole tobacco smoke. The goal of this research was to develop reliable and robust smoke fractionation methods using analytical separation and detection techniques in combination with in vitro toxicological assays. In a previous study by our collaborators, toxicological assessment of the particulate phase combustion products of twelve individual tobacco components revealed that the combustion products of chlorogenic acid were the most cytotoxic using the in vitro micronucleus test. Therefore, a preparative liquid chromatography method was developed in this work to fractionate the combustion products of chlorogenic acid to assess the bioactivity of these fractions and to identify the compounds responsible for the toxicity observed. The sub-fraction responsible for the most cytotoxic response comprised catechol, which was identified by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Emerging studies have highlighted the toxicological significance of whole tobacco smoke and specifically the vapor phase, which shifted our focus to whole smoke analyses. The Borgwaldt RM20S® smoking machine in combination with British American Tobacco’s in vitro cell exposure chamber allow for the generation of fresh cigarette smoke in various doses and delivery to cell cultures. In vitro biological assays have a high degree of variability, thus, all other sources of variability must be accounted for to accurately assess toxicological endpoints; however, the reliability of dose delivery of the instrument had not been assessed until now. We have determined the reliability (RSD from 0.7-12%) of smoke generation and dilution by quantifying two reference standard gases (CH4 by flame ionization detection and CO by infrared absorption) and the tobacco particulate phase marker, solanesol (by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet absorption detection). The relationship between dose and diluted vapor phase components found within the exposure chamber was then characterized by developing a headspace stir-bar sorptive extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method. The method repeatability gave an RSD from 10-13% for five reference compounds identified in the vapor phase of cigarette smoke. The maximal peak area response was obtained using the following experimental conditions: exposure-to-desorption time interval of 10  0.5 min, desorption temperature of 200 °C for 2 min, and a cryofocussing temperature of -75 °C. The dilution precision was found to yield a linear response of analyte abundance and was observed to be a function of concentration (RSD from 6.2-17.2 %) with quantities of 6-450 ng for the reference compounds. The findings obtained suggest the Borgwaldt RM20S® is a reliable tool to generate and deliver repeatable and linear doses of cigarette smoke to in vitro cell cultures. Our approach began with designing the methodology to work with an individual tobacco component, which could then be applied to a more complex sample, e.g., the vapor phase of cigarette smoke. The methodology developed can potentially serve as standardized methods for the assessment of instrumentation or screening of products for the Tobacco Industry.

La fumée du tabac est un aérosol extrêmement complexe constitué de milliers de composés répartis entre la phase particulaire et la phase vapeur. Il a été démontré que les effets toxicologiques de cette fumée sont associés aux composés appartenant aux deux phases. Plusieurs composés biologiquement actifs ont été identifiés dans la fumée du tabac; cependant, il n’y a pas d’études démontrant la relation entre les réponses biologiques obtenues via les tests in vitro ou in vivo et les composés présents dans la fumée entière du tabac. Le but de la présente recherche est de développer des méthodes fiables et robustes de fractionnement de la fumée à l’aide de techniques de séparation analytique et de techniques de détection combinés à des essais in vitro toxicologiques. Une étude antérieure réalisée par nos collaborateurs a démontré que, suite à l’étude des produits de combustion de douze principaux composés du tabac, l’acide chlorogénique s’est avéré être le composé le plus cytotoxique selon les test in vitro du micronoyau. Ainsi, dans cette étude, une méthode par chromatographie préparative en phase liquide a été développée dans le but de fractionner les produits de combustion de l’acide chlorogénique. Les fractions des produits de combustion de l’acide chlorogénique ont ensuite été testées et les composés responsables de la toxicité de l’acide chlorogénique ont été identifiés. Le composé de la sous-fraction responsable en majeure partie de la cytoxicité a été identifié comme étant le catéchol, lequel fut confirmé par chromatographie en phase liquide/ spectrométrie de masse à temps de vol. Des études récentes ont démontré les effets toxicologiques de la fumée entière du tabac et l’implication spécifique de la phase vapeur. C’est pourquoi notre travail a ensuite été focalisé principalement à l’analyse de la fumée entière. La machine à fumer Borgwaldt RM20S® utilisée avec les chambres d’exposition cellulaire de British American Tobacco permettent l’étude in vitro de l’exposition de cellules à différentes concentrations de fumée entière du tabac. Les essais biologiques in vitro ont un degré élevé de variabilité, ainsi, il faut prendre en compte toutes les autres sources de variabilité pour évaluer avec précision la finalité toxicologique de ces essais; toutefois, la fiabilité de la génération de la fumée de la machine n’a jamais été évaluée jusqu’à maintenant. Nous avons donc déterminé la fiabilité de la génération et de la dilution (RSD entre 0,7 et 12 %) de la fumée en quantifiant la présence de deux gaz de référence (le CH4 par détection à ionisation de flamme et le CO par absorption infrarouge) et d’un composé de la phase particulaire, le solanesol (par chromatographie en phase liquide à haute performance). Ensuite, la relation entre la dose et la dilution des composés de la phase vapeur retrouvée dans la chambre d’exposition cellulaire a été caractérisée en utilisant une nouvelle technique d’extraction dite par HSSE (Headspace Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction) couplée à la chromatographie en phase liquide/ spectrométrie de masse. La répétabilité de la méthode a donné une valeur de RSD se situant entre 10 et 13 % pour cinq des composés de référence identifiés dans la phase vapeur de la fumée de cigarette. La réponse offrant la surface maximale d’aire sous la courbe a été obtenue en utilisant les conditions expérimentales suivantes : intervalle de temps d’exposition/ désorption de 10 0.5 min, température de désorption de 200°C pour 2 min et température de concentration cryogénique (cryofocussing) de -75°C. La précision de la dilution de la fumée est linéaire et est fonction de l’abondance des analytes ainsi que de la concentration (RSD de 6,2 à 17,2 %) avec des quantités de 6 à 450 ng pour les composés de référence. Ces résultats démontrent que la machine à fumer Borgwaldt RM20S® est un outil fiable pour générer et acheminer de façon répétitive et linéaire la fumée de cigarette aux cultures cellulaires in vitro. Notre approche consiste en l’élaboration d’une méthodologie permettant de travailler avec un composé unique du tabac, pouvant être appliqué à des échantillons plus complexes par la suite ; ex : la phase vapeur de la fumée de cigarette. La méthodologie ainsi développée peut potentiellement servir de méthode de standardisation pour l’évaluation d’instruments ou de l’identification de produits dans l’industrie de tabac. / Tobacco smoke is an extremely complex aerosol composed of thousands of constituents distributed amongst the particulate and vapor phases. Toxicological effects have been linked to compounds present in both of these phases. Many biologically active compounds have been identified within tobacco smoke; however, there is a lack of studies correlating specific in vitro or in vivo biological responses to components within whole tobacco smoke. The goal of this research was to develop reliable and robust smoke fractionation methods using analytical separation and detection techniques in combination with in vitro toxicological assays. In a previous study by our collaborators, toxicological assessment of the particulate phase combustion products of twelve individual tobacco components revealed that the combustion products of chlorogenic acid were the most cytotoxic using the in vitro micronucleus test. Therefore, a preparative liquid chromatography method was developed in this work to fractionate the combustion products of chlorogenic acid to assess the bioactivity of these fractions and to identify the compounds responsible for the toxicity observed. The sub-fraction responsible for the most cytotoxic response comprised catechol, which was identified by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Emerging studies have highlighted the toxicological significance of whole tobacco smoke and specifically the vapor phase, which shifted our focus to whole smoke analyses. The Borgwaldt RM20S® smoking machine in combination with British American Tobacco’s in vitro cell exposure chamber allow for the generation of fresh cigarette smoke in various doses and delivery to cell cultures. In vitro biological assays have a high degree of variability, thus, all other sources of variability must be accounted for to accurately assess toxicological endpoints; however, the reliability of dose delivery of the instrument had not been assessed until now. We have determined the reliability (RSD from 0.7-12%) of smoke generation and dilution by quantifying two reference standard gases (CH4 by flame ionization detection and CO by infrared absorption) and the tobacco particulate phase marker, solanesol (by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet absorption detection). The relationship between dose and diluted vapor phase components found within the exposure chamber was then characterized by developing a headspace stir-bar sorptive extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method. The method repeatability gave an RSD from 10-13% for five reference compounds identified in the vapor phase of cigarette smoke. The maximal peak area response was obtained using the following experimental conditions: exposure-to-desorption time interval of 10  0.5 min, desorption temperature of 200 °C for 2 min, and a cryofocussing temperature of -75 °C. The dilution precision was found to yield a linear response of analyte abundance and was observed to be a function of concentration (RSD from 6.2-17.2 %) with quantities of 6-450 ng for the reference compounds. The findings obtained suggest the Borgwaldt RM20S® is a reliable tool to generate and deliver repeatable and linear doses of cigarette smoke to in vitro cell cultures. Our approach began with designing the methodology to work with an individual tobacco component, which could then be applied to a more complex sample, e.g., the vapor phase of cigarette smoke. The methodology developed can potentially serve as standardized methods for the assessment of instrumentation or screening of products for the Tobacco Industry.