FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: Wed Oct 15 15:11:09 EDT 2014
Discarded cigarette ashes could go to good use removing arsenic from water
"Synthesis of Alumina-Modified Cigarette Soot Carbon as an Adsorbent for Efficient Arsenate Removal"
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Arsenic, a well-known poison, can be taken out of drinking water using sophisticated treatment methods. But in
places that lack the equipment or technical know-how required to remove it, it still laces drinking water and
makes people sick. To tackle this problem, scientists have come up with a new low-cost, simple way to remove
arsenic using leftovers from another known health threat cigarettes. They report their method in ACS
journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
Jiaxing Li and colleagues explain that naturally occurring and industry-related arsenic contaminates groundwater
at high levels in many countries, including Chile, China, Hungary and Mexico. The odorless, tasteless element
can cause skin discoloration, stomach pain, partial paralysis and a range of other serious health problems. While
the technology for removing arsenic from water exists and is in widespread use in industrialized areas, it is
expensive and impractical for rural and developing regions. Scientists have been exploring the use of natural
waste materials such as banana peels and rice hulls for removing arsenic from water, but these so far have
shown limited efficiency. Recognizing that the porous structure of cigarette ash could be better suited to this
purpose, Lis team decided to test it.
In a simple, inexpensive, one-step method, the researchers prepared cigarette ash with a coating of aluminum
oxide. When they tested the material with contaminated ground water, they found it removed more than 96
percent of the arsenic, reducing its levels to below the standard set by the World Health Organization. Because
cigarette ashes are discarded in countries around the world and can be easily collected in places where public
smoking is allowed, it could be part of a low-cost solution for a serious public health issue, they say.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Hefei Center for
Physical Science and Technology.
Ref: http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2014/acs-presspac-october-15-2014/discardedcigarette-ashes-could-go-to-good-use-removing-arsenic-from-water.html
Volume 29, Issue 1 (01 January 1990), pp. 13-31
A Comparative Study of Silver Cleaning Abrasives
Abstract
The intent of this investigation was to identify a relatively safe and effective abrasive cleaning system for use on
museum silver. This research, performed at the Getty Conservation Institute (Gel) and the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art (LACMA), was coordinated with the actual cleaning, polishing, and lacquering of a large silver
collection at the museum. Tarnished sterling silver samples were cleaned using 13 abrasives and 2 carrier fluids.
The amount of silver removed, the relative amount of tarnish remaining, and the appearance of the silver
surface after cleaning were assessed. Independent bench tests were performed by LACMA conservation staff to
compare subjectively the results produced by the various abrasives, carrier fluids, and abrasive support cloths. It
was found that calcium carbonate, gamma alumina, and chromium oxide suspended in deionized water
containing a nonionic surfactant removed tarnish successfully and caused the least amount of damage to the
silver. The mechanisms of polishing and factors to be considered in selection of museum silver cleaning systems
are discussed.
_
That Cigarette Would Make a Great Water Filter

Clean out the ashtray, add some aluminum oxide, and you've (almost) got yourself a low-cost way to remove
arsenic from drinking water.
NATHAN COLLINS OCT 21, 2014
In further evidence that one persons trash is anothers treasureand perhaps life saverresearchers in
China and Saudi Arabia have devised a way to use cigarette ash to filter arsenic from water. The technique could
prove to be a cost-effective way to deal with contaminated drinking water, especially in the developing world.
Odorless and tasteless, arsenic is more than just the stuff of Agatha Christie novels. Its also a serious
public health threat in some parts of the world, notably Bangladesh, where naturally occurring arsenic
compounds are abundant in the soil. Even in wealthy countries such as the United States, a mix of natural and
industrial sources poses a threat to public health if it goes undetected and unmanaged. Regardless of the source,
long-term exposure through drinking water and from crops irrigated with contaminated water can lead to skin
lesions and cancer. Fortunately, richer nations have a number of options for dealing with arsenic, including
absorption treatments and methods based on chemical oxidation.
Odorless and tasteless, arsenic is more than just the stuff of Agatha Christie novels. Its also a serious
public health threat in some parts of the world, notably Bangladesh, where naturally occurring arsenic
compounds are abundant in the soil.
But in the developing world, finding the money for a state-of-the-art treatment facility isnt an easy job. Apart
from collecting rain water and boiling it, the simplest and most cost-effective way to treat arsenic-laced water is
absorption. A standard water filter just passes water through a material that attracts arsenic compounds but lets
water molecules flow by.
Heres where cigarette ash comes in. Tobacco is grown throughout the world, and millions of cigarettes
are made and smoked every daya public-health concern in its own right. But its also a good source of waterfiltering carbon.
When people smoke, incomplete combustion emerges as air is sucked through the tobacco within a short
time. Thus, a certain amount of activated carbonthats the porous, absorbent stuff in your water filteris
formed and incorporated into the cigarette soot, write He Chen and colleagues in Industrial & Engineering
Chemistry Research. The team combined that with another material for arsenic removal, aluminum oxide, to
create a low-cost, relatively easy-to-make filter.

Neither ash nor aluminum oxide is ideal as a filtering materialash has to be heat treated to be an
efficient water filter, while aluminum oxide tends to clump up or form gels when exposed to water. To
get around that, the researchers treated cigarette soot with hydrochloric and nitric acid before mixing
the resulting powder with aluminum nitrate, finally producing an aluminum oxide-carbon mix. Finally,
the team tested their concoction on a groundwater sample from Mongolia. With about two grams of
aluminum oxide to one gram of cigarette-soot carbon, the team removed about 96 percent of the
arsenic in the sample, as well as 98 percent of fluoride ions. They also found that they could use the same
mix six times without losing filtering capacity. Finally, something good about smoking cigarettes.
_
Tob Control 2004;13:ii71-ii78 doi:10.1136/tc.2004.009324

Research paper
The Philippine tobacco industry: the strongest tobacco lobby in Asia

1.
2.

K Alechnowicz,
S Chapman
+Author Affiliations

1.

1. School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Correspondence to: Professor Simon Chapman School of Public Health, Room 320B Edward Ford Building,
A27, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia;simonchapman@health.usyd.edu.au
Abstract
Objective: To highlight revelations from internal tobacco industry documents about the conduct of the industry
in the Philippines since the 1960s. Areas explored include political corruption, health, employment of
consultants, resisting pack labelling, and marketing and advertising.
Methods: Systematic keyword Minnesota depository website searches of tobacco industry internal documents
made available through the Master Settlement Agreement.

Results: The Philippines has long suffered a reputation for political corruption where collusion between state
and business was based on the exchange of political donations for favourable economic policies. The tobacco
industry was able to limit the effectiveness of proposed anti-tobacco legislation. A prominent scientist publicly
repudiated links between active and passive smoking and disease. The placement of health warning labels was
negotiated to benefit the industry, and the commercial environment allowed it to capitalise on their marketing
freedoms to the fullest potential. Women, children, youth, and the poor have been targeted.
Conclusion: The politically laissez faire Philippines presented tobacco companies with an environment ripe for
exploitation. The Philippines has seen some of the worlds most extreme and controversial forms of tobacco
promotion flourish. Against international standards of progress, the Philippines is among the worlds slowest
nations to take tobacco control seriously.
In 1995, Philip Morris Internationals (PMI) advertising agency, Leo Burnett, summarized the Philippine situation
with the slogan There cant be a better time1 for the tobacco industry. According to the agency, international
anti-tobacco activists had nominated the Philippines as having the strongest tobacco lobby in Asia. 2 By 1996, the
Philippines ranked first in sales for PMIs Asian region3 and continued growth led to the establishment of a
US$300 million manufacturing facility in the country which commenced production in 2003. 4
The Philippines (population 80 million) is the 15th biggest consumer of cigarettes in the world 5and the largest
consumer among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).6 Some 54% of adult men and 11% of adult
women smoke7 with overall adult smoking prevalence being the fourth highest among ASEAN countries. Tobacco
use among Filipino youth (18 years or less) is high, with approximately 37% of young men and 18% of young
women smoking on at least a monthly basis. There has been a 33% increase in the prevalence of having ever
smoked since 1995.8 Alarmingly, almost one fifth of young Filipinos begin smoking before age 10. 8 A 1999
government white paper on smoking calculated that two Filipinos die every hour from tobacco use. 9
Cigarette prices in the Philippines are low, with the price of Marlboro being the second lowest for all ASEAN
nations.10 The cigarette market has been dominated by menthol brands for several decades, 11 although nonmenthol volume has been steadily improving in recent years.12 La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Company and the
Fortune Tobacco Company (FTC) have been the two leading producers, and have had licensing agreements with
PMI and RJ Reynolds (RJR) respectively. FTC commands a 67% market share, while La Suerte holds a 25% share. 13
Unlike other Asian nations, the Philippines is a highly Christian country, with approximately 80% of the
population being Catholic. English is spoken widely, with a recognisably American accent. There has been a
strong US presence in the Philippines since the American colonial period from 1901 until 1946. 14 This presents a
rare cultural consistency between an Asian nation and the Anglophone tobacco transnationals.
Poverty and unemployment remain the countrys gravest economic problems. 15 Gross national income is $1020
per capita, and approximately 28% of people live below the national poverty line. 16 Economic problems are
higher in rural areas where some 55% live in poverty. 17
For many years, the Philippines was governed by an administration with a global reputation for corruption,
particularly during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos (19721986). The commercial necessity of using contact
men to facilitate cronyism in conducting business was acknowledged in an early Philip Morris document. 18 In the
first paper to report on revelations from the tobacco industrys internal documents, this paper examines the
conduct of the tobacco industry in this political and commercial environment, highlighting tactics and episodes
illustrative of the companies conduct in thwarting tobacco control.
Research
Market research in the Philippines included smokers aged less than 18 years. B&W explicitly stated their
consumer research would comprise of menthol smokers 16 years of age and above to understand brand
usage, attitude, and image.111 In 1984, B&W undertook an extensive Target Market Profile Study. Its purpose
was to profile young Filipino males between the ages 1519 for a proposed new brand, Hollywood. Information
regarding leisure activities, music preference, media usage, and smoking habits was collected from 800
participants to assist the brand launch. It was found that [a]wareness of any promotional activity, at 91%,
was generally higher among the younger (1524) and lower socio-economic class (C and upper D)
respondents.112

Market research for Marlboro Lights found that 1524 year olds had the highest advertising awareness, highest
rate of trying, highest rate of purchase, and occasional usage. Intense promotional campaigns resulted in high
awareness: Television was a more significant source of awareness for young smokers... In-store display was
more likely to raise awareness of younger smokers. Indeed, 82% of awareness came from TV for the youngest
age group researched, and 74% of the youngest age group tested ever tried Marlboro Lights. 113
Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003
Apart from the above mentioned advertising and packaging regulations, the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003
(Republic Act No. 9211) prohibits smoking in all public places, and prohibits tobacco sales within 100 m of
schools, playgrounds, and other facilities frequented by youth. It requires retailers to demand proof of age from
cigarette buyers, and display signs stating that it is an offence to sell cigarettes to persons under 18 years. All
sponsorship shall be banned by 1 July 2008. Violators of this new Act will be fined between 500 pesos (about
US$10) to 400 000 pesos (about US$7,270) and can be imprisoned from 30 days to three years. 118
Tobacco companies have prepared for these restrictions. For example, a British American Tobacco brand
manager stated in 2004 that future marketing would be focused on one-to-one permission marketing in order
to counter restrictions placed on mass media strategies.119Here, consumers provide marketers with permission to
send them promotional messages thus improving targeting precision. 120 Permission marketing allows us to talk
to consumers on their level, on their turf.119
Further, the Republic Act No. 9211 mandated the creation of Inter-agency Committee-Tobacco (IAC-Tobacco). Its
tasks have included the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the said law and the
subsequent exclusive power of administration and implementation. 72 The IAC-Tobacco has nine members,
including seven representatives from government agencies, one from the tobacco industry, and one from a nongovernment organisation. The National Tobacco Administration has a long history of pro-tobacco policy. The
Department of Trade and Industry, which heads the IAC-Tobacco, has also been labelled as pro-tobacco by antitobacco activists. The World Health Organization121 has concluded that Continuing efforts to enact
comprehensive legislation have yet to achieve victory in the Philippines._
The Philippine tobacco industry: "the strongest tobacco lobby in Asia"AUTHOR(S)
K. Alechnowicz; Chapman, S.
December 2004SOURCE
Tobacco Control;Dec2004 Supplement 2, Vol. 13, pii71PE
Academic JournalABSTRACT
Objective: To highlight revelations from internal tobacco industry documents about the conduct of the industry in
the Philippines since the 1960s. Areas explored include political corruption, health, employment of consultants,
resisting pack labelling, and marketing and advertising. Methods: Systematic keyword Minnesota depository
website searches of tobacco industry internal documents made available through the Master Settlement
Agreement. Results: The Philippines has long suffered a reputation for political corruption where collusion
between state and business was based on the exchange of political donations for favourable economic policies.
The tobacco industry was able to limit the effectiveness of proposed anti-tobacco legislation. A prominent
scientist publicly repudiated links between active and passive smoking and disease. The placement of health
warning labels was negotiated to benefit the industry, and the commercial environment allowed it to capitalise
on their marketing freedoms to the fullest potential. Women, children, youth, and the poor have been targeted.
Conclusion: The politically laissez faire Philippines presented tobacco companies with an environment ripe for
exploitation. The Philippines has seen some of the world's most extreme and controversial forms of tobacco
promotion flourish. Against international standards of progress, the Philippines is among the world's slowest
nations to take tobacco control seriously.
_
Turning Cigarette Ash Into Arsenic Filters Scientists have found an ingenious use for cigarette ash,
turning the porous material into an efficient arsenic water purifier.
Asian Scientist Newsroom | October 21, 2014 | In the Lab Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
http://www.asianscientist.com/2014/10/in-the-lab/turning-cigarette-ash-arsenic-filters/

AsianScientist (Oct. 21, 2014) - Arsenic, a well-known poison, can be taken out of drinking water using
sophisticated treatment methods. But in places that lack the equipment or technical know-how required to
remove it, it still laces drinking water and makes people sick. To tackle this problem, scientists have come up
with a new low-cost, simple way to remove arsenic using leftovers from another known health threatcigarettes.
They report their method in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Dr. Li Jiaxing and
colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Plasma Physics explain that naturally occurring
and industry-related arsenic contaminates groundwater at high levels in many countries, including Chile, China,
Hungary and Mexico. The odorless, tasteless element can cause skin discoloration, stomach pain, partial
paralysis and a range of other serious health problems. While the technology for removing arsenic from water
exists and is in widespread use in industrialized areas, it is expensive and impractical for rural and developing
regions. Scientists have been exploring the use of natural waste materials such as banana peels and rice hulls
for removing arsenic from water, but these so far have shown limited efficiency. Recognizing that the porous
structure of cigarette ash could be better suited to this purpose, Li's team decided to test it. In a simple,
inexpensive, one-step method, the researchers prepared cigarette ash with a coating of aluminum oxide. When
they tested the material with contaminated ground water, they found it removed more than 96 percent of the
arsenic, reducing its levels to below the standard set by the World Health Organization. Because cigarette ashes
are discarded in countries around the world and can be easily collected in places where public smoking is
allowed, it could be part of a low-cost solution for a serious public health issue, they say. Read more from Asian
Scientist Magazine at: http://www.asianscientist.com/2014/10/in-the-lab/turning-cigarette-ash-arsenic-filters/
Synthesis of Alumina-Modified Cigarette Soot Carbon As an Adsorbent for Efficient Arsenate Removal
He Chen , Jiaxing Li

, Xilin Wu , and Xiangke Wang

School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206,P.R.
China

Key Laboratory of Novel Thin Film Solar Cells, Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O.
Box 1126, 230031 Hefei, PR China

Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2014, 53 (41), pp 1605116060
DOI: 10.1021/ie503057g
Publication Date (Web): September 19, 2014
Copyright 2014 American Chemical Society
Abstract
In this study, the alumina (Al2O3) modified cigarette soot carbon (CSC) (Al2O3/CSC) were fabricated via a simple
one-step thermal method using CSC as template. The as-synthesized Al 2O3/CSC were used as adsorbents for
efficient arsenate (As(V)) elimination. Different weight ratios of Al 2O3/CSC (Al2O3:CSC = 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1) were
fabricated, and the corresponding As(V) removal performance revealed that the synthesized 2Al 2O3/CSC (mass
ratio) possessed the best separation property and the highest adsorption capacity. A natural groundwater
sample collected from Togtoh county, Inner Mongolia (China), with an initial concentration of 233 g/L As(V)
was applied to test the 2Al2O3/CSC application in actual groundwater purification. After processing with
2Al2O3/CSC, the As(V) concentration was reduced to 8.0 g/L, which met the quality standard of World Health
Organization (WHO). A regeneration test indicated that the 2Al 2O3/CSC could be reused for at least six times
without significant decrease in the adsorption capacity. The as-synthesized 2Al 2O3/CSC with the maximum
removal capacity of 96.9 mg/g for As(V) would be a promising material for the efficient removal of As(V) from
groundwater with high As(V) concentrations in actual applications.
-\
Time Journals of Biological Sciences and Technology Vol. 1(3) 17-20 October 2013 www.timejournals.org/tjbst
2013 Time Journals ISSN:2360-7351
Ecofriendly Alternative Solutions for Rust Removal Brian Gil S. Sarinas*, Lorna D. Gellada, Roberto R. Somosa,
Teresita A. Paragon, Melvin Alonsabe, Pete Balitucha, Jester Molleda,Daniel Tumadiang, Jr.and John Lindsey
Verano John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo Sto. Nio Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines
ACCEPTED: 5 October, 2013 ABSTRACT Rust formation in sea going ships is a common problem. So a study was
conducted to establish the effectiveness of some ecofriendly and natural products as alternative solution for

rust removal. The experiments conducted using citrus, lemon grass, vinegar and muriatic acid, showed that
the combination of citrus with vinegar is most effective in rust removal. Although it is true that muriatic acid is
a conventional and effective solution, yet it is a hazardous chemical. However, combination of citrus and
vinegar is an ecofriendly and natural alternative for rust removal. Key words: citrus, lemon grass, vinegar,
muriatic acid, rust, rust removal INTRODUCTION In todays world of technology, ships are mostly made up of
metals. Thus, rust is a common problem and sometimes the cause of ships damage to hull and other parts of
the ship if no intervention is applied. Rust or iron oxide is being formed due to the exposure of iron to air and
water. This happens when iron melts in the water with the combination of oxygen. Eventually, the iron or metal
will undergo corrosion. In order to remove the rust and prevent corrosion, crew onboard must apply a chemical
that is highly acidic. Various chemicals are now used to remove rust. However, in using these chemicals, one
must be careful in handling them because they can pose risks to human health (ASM International Corrosion:
Understanding the Basics, 2000). Muller (2004) pointed out that hydrogen corrosion of the aluminum can be
inhibited by the chelating agent which is the citric acid. Moreover, agaric acid (- hexadecyl-citric acid), was
more effective in inhibiting corrosion compared to citric acid alone. Knowing that the Philippines is a tropical
country, this study will determine the alternative indigenous organic solutions against rust that is less harmful
to human health And to the environment without compromising the financial standing of the consumers.
_
Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 301 (2006) 5066
Magnetism of cigarette ashes
Neli Jordanovaa,, Diana Jordanovaa , Bernard Henryb , Maxime Le Goffb , Dimo Dimovc , Tsenka Tsachevada
Geophysical Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, Bl. 3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria b
Geomagnetisme et Paleomagnetisme, IPGP and CNRS, France c Department of Geology and Geography,
Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria d Institute of Physical Chemistry, BAS, Bulgaria Received 16
February 2005;
received in revised form 3 June 2005 Available online 6 July 2005

Abstract Mineral composition of cigarette ashes is well studied in the literature, but no reports are available
about the magnetic fraction. Our study presents an investigation of the basic magnetic characteristics of ashes
from several commercially available cigarette brands and a wood ash. Magnetic susceptibility, which is a
concentration-dependent parameter in case of uniform mineralogy, shows that cigarette ashes contain
relatively high amount of magnetic iron minerals, similar to that in wood ash from our study and other literature
data. Magnetization data suggest that cigarette ashes contain some 0.1 wt% or lower quantity of magnetite,
depending on the brand. Analyses of magnetic mineralogy imply that the main magnetic minerals in ashes from
higher quality cigarette brands are magnetite and iron carbide cementite, while in ashes from lower quality
brands without additives magnetic minerals are pure and substituted with foreign ions magnetite. Magnetic
grain-size analysis shows that cigarette ashes contain significant amount of very fine, nano-meter sized
magnetic particles, as well as coarser (up to several microns), magnetically stable grains. Thus, the magnetic
study of cigarette ashes proved that these plant ashes possess non-negligible magnetic properties. The results
could serve for better elucidation of mineralogy of cigarette ashes as a whole, as well as for future investigation
on the presence of magnetic ultra fine particles in cigarette smoke, which may be inhaled in lungs during
smoking. r 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://www.ipgp.fr/~legoff/Download-PDF/Jordanova_et_al-JMMM2006.pdf