In 2021, a project was launched with the objective to establish a CRM for analysing select polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in mainstream cigarette smoke.

The study design included reference and monitor samples across a range of nominal ISO 3308 tar levels and use of an intense and non-intense regime in order to evaluate methodology across a broad analyte and matrix level. Laboratories reported method details, basic smoking measures, and the specified PAH compounds.

Based on these results, the next step recommendation is to conduct a collaborative study (CS) with one or two candidate methods from this study based on the criteria discussed in this report.