What is the pH of tobacco smoke?!
Question:
What is the pH of tobacco smoke?
Additional Details
2 weeks ago
Wanting to figure out if potasium nitrate, E252 (here used as combustion aid) to potasium hydroxide produced an effect.
Ash (and smoke which is airbourn ash) from mineral sources usually acid, and basic if from vegatable matter.
Answers:
Why on earth do you want to know?
It's somewhere around 4.5 to 5, varying a bit with different brands. Increasing the smoke pH (e.g. by adding ammonia) tends to make the smoke less irritant, but also results in higher delivery of nicotine and hence greater addictiveness. This technique is used (controversially) by some cigarette manufacturers (e.g. Marlboro).