To the man in the

[theoracle]

Originally Posted by whatsthat

From a Calf Source????? okkkaaayyyyy

BTW decomposition depends on weather and site conditions: warm, wet conditions enhance decomposition, as does exposure to sunlight and oxygen. So given our weather of warm and wet....those estimates for Calf do not apply here.

Cig are made of what? Paper and tobacco?

Yes, it varies on many elements for the decomposition of anything and that is why there was a range in the chart. Here is another cite (probably from California as well) on what makes up a cigarette filter. As you can see, there is more to it than simply paper and tobacco.

1. Filters:
Cigarette filters are specifically designed to absorb vapors and to accumulate particulate smoke components. Filters also prevent tobacco from entering a smoker's mouth and provide a mouthpiece that will not collapse as the cigarette is smoked. Filters generally have the following components:

A "plug" of acetate cellulose filter tow
95% of cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate (a plastic), and the balance are made from papers and rayon. The cellulose acetate tow fibers are thinner than sewing thread, white, and packed tightly together to create a filter; they can look like cotton. Other materials have been tried and rejected in favor of the taste that acetate produces. Filters vary in filtration efficiency, depending on whether the cigarette is to be "light" or regular.



How many fibers are in a cigarette filter?
The following is quoted from a research paper by researchers from the New York State Department of Health, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Cornell University. Click here for full article.

"Viewing the white face of the cigarette filter with the naked eye and compression of the filter column with the fingers would suggest that the filter is made of a sponge-like material. However, opening the cigarette filter, by cutting it lengthwise with a razor, reveals that it consists of a fibrous mass. Spreading apart the matrix reveals some of the more than 12 000 white fibers. Microscopically, these fibers are Y shaped and contain the delustrant titanium dioxide. The fibers are made of cellulose acetate, a synthetic plastic-like substance used commonly for photographic films. A plasticiser, triacetin (glycerol triacetate), is applied to bond the fibers."

An inner paper wrapper (plug wrap) and glue
The paper used to wrap the acetate cellulose plug is impervious to air for regular cigarettes, or is ventilated and very porous in "light" cigarettes, allowing more air to enter the smoke mix. A polyvinyl acetate emulsion is used as the glue to attach the plug to the wrapper, and to seam the wrapper.

An outer paper (tipping paper)
The tipping paper, often printed to look like cork, covers the filter plug and attaches the filter to the column of tobacco. Tipping paper is formulated to not adhere to the lips of smokers.

Other Filter components
The filters of some cigarettes, such as Parliament, also contain charcoal as an additional filtration agent. The "micronite filter" on Lorillard's' Kent brand cigarettes from 1952 to 1957 contained the deadliest form of asbestos - crocidolite. While advertisements at the time promoted the filter as making Kents healthier than other cigarettes, there are currently several lawsuits pending against Lorillard from families of smokers who died from a rare cancer caused primarily by crocidolite.