Tobacco plants can be modified in laboratory to reduce levels of tar.
There are 60 species of tobacco plants; the most largely used today is Nicotiana tobacum, reports the University of Arizona. Cigarettes and other tobacco products have many carcinogenic components, including tar, which is a residual and toxic material formed with the burning of tobacco. Advances in biotechnology have made possible the creation of tobacco plants which release less tar when burned. These genetically modified versions of Nicotiana tobacum include the lineages Dhanadayi, Bell 61-9 No.1 and A-23, according to Central Tobacco Research Institute of India.
Bell 61-9 No.1
This lineage of Nicotiana tobacum produces low quantities of tar when burned, in the order of 136.6, according to Central Tobacco Research Institute of India. Tar levels were measured using the PMI technique, which stands for Positive Material Identification. Through this method, many smoke components can be separated, identified and quantified, according to researcher Thomas Perfetti in the study "The Chemical Components of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke."
Dhanadayi
The tobacco variety Dhanadayi shows low levels of tar, in the order of 137.5, when tested with the PMI technique, reports the Central Tobacco Research Institute of India. Since 2004, European legislation for labeling cigarettes as low-tar requires a maximum of 10 mg per cigarette, according to the Summaries of European Union Legislation website. Apart from using low-tar tobacco varieties, most companies use other methods to allegedly reduce the tar content of a cigarette. According to Action on Smoking and Health, manufacturers put small vent holes into the filter tip and use porous wrapping paper to reduce the inhaled smoke.
A-23
This lineage of Nicotiana tobacum presents a 138.8 PMI tar level, when incinerated, reports the Central Tobacco Research Institute of India, when analyzing samples of plants cultivated in Brazil, England, France, Iran, the United States and Zimbabwe. Using low-tar varieties of tobacco in cigarettes does not reduce the risk of lung and other diseases in smokers. According to Action on Smoking and Health, smokers often compensate the low levels by smoking more or inhaling more deeply.
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