This document summarizes a student's chemistry project on extracting nicotine sulfate from cigarette samples. The student collected different cigarette brands, dissolved the tobacco in calcium hydroxide solution, filtered and extracted the nicotine using kerosene and sulfuric acid. Analysis found relatively higher nicotine levels in beedi cigarettes (0.17g) versus branded cigarettes (0.06g and 0.05g). The conclusion is that country cigarettes contain more nicotine than company brands. The document also discusses the addictive nature of nicotine and severe health effects of smoking like cancer and heart disease.

1. INDEX
1) Aim
2) Tobacco
3) Nicotine
4) Addictive nature of Tobacco
5) Health effects
6) Chemical required
7) Requirement
8) Procedure
9) Result
10) Conclusion

2. AIM
To extract Nicotine Sulphate
from sample of cigarettes.

3. INTRODUCTION
This project was undertaken to educate the students
about the ill effects of cigarette smoking cause due to
the deposition of nicotine. Nicotine is a highly toxic and
addictive drug which can cause serious damage to
smokers and their relatives. The project was
undertaking under two section and subsequently
compiled to form one investigatory project.

4. TOBACOO
Tobacco is an agriculture product processed from the
leaves of plant in the genus Nicotiana. It can be
consumed, used as pesticide and in the form if
Nicotiane tartrate, used in some medicine. It is most
commonly used as a drug and it is a valuable cash crop
for countries such as Cuba, India, China and United
States. Tobacco is a name for any plant of the genus
Nicotine of the Solanaceae family (night shade family )
and for the tobacco manufactured from the leaf and
used in cigars and cigarettes, snuff and pipe and
chewing tobacco. Tobacco plants are also used in
bioengineering and some of the 60 species are grown
as ornamentals.
The chief commercials species, N-tabacum is believed
native to tropical America like most nicotiana plants,
but has been so long cultivated that it is no longer in
the wild N.Rrustica, a mild flavored, fast burning
species was the tobacco originally raised in Virginia,
but it is now grown chiefly in Turkey, India and Russia,
the alkaloid nicotine is the most characteristic
constituent of tobacco and is responsible for its
addictive nature. The harmful effect of tobacco derives

5. from the thousands of different compounds generated
in the smoke including polycyclic aromatic compound
hydrocarbon(such as benzopyrene), from aldehyde,
cadmium, nickel, arsenic, radioactive polonium 210
tobacco specific nitrosamines(TANAs), phenol and
many others.
Tobacco is cultivated similarly to other agricultural
product. Seeds are sown in cold frames or hot beds to
prevent attacks from insect and then transplanted into
the fields.
Tobacco is an annual crop, which is usually harvested
mechanically or by hand. After harvest, tobacco is
stared for curing, which allows for the slow oxidation
and degradation of carotenoids. This allows for the
agricultural product to take on properties that are
usually attributed including smoking, chewing, snuffing
and so on.
Most cigarettes incorporate flue-cured tobacco, which
produce a milder more inhalable smoke. Use of low pH,
inhalable, flue-cured Tobacco is one of the principal
reasons smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases
association with smoke inhalation.

7. NICOTINE
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the night shade family
of plants (solanaceae) that acts as a nicotine
acetylcholine receptor against. The bio synthesis take
place take place in the roots and accumulation occurs
in the leaves of the tree of the Solanaceae it
constitutes approximately 0.6-3.0 % of the dry weights
of tobacco and is present in the range 2-7µg /kg of
various edible plants. It functions as an anti-herbivore
chemical therefore nicotine was widely used as an
insecticide in the past and nicotine analogs such as
imidacloprid are currently widely used.
In low does (an average cigarette yield about one mg
of absorbed nicotine). The substances act as a
stimulant in mammals wild high amount (30-60mg) can
be fatal.
This stimulant effect in the main factor responsible for
the dependence forming properties of tobacco
smoking. According to the American heart association,
nicotine addiction to break, while the pharmacological
and behavioral characteristics that determine addiction
to heroin and cocaine.

8. The nicotine content of popular American brand
cigarette has slowly increased over the years and one
study found that there was an average increase of
1.6% per year between the years of 1998 and 2005.
This was found for all major market categories of
cigarettes.

9. CHEMICAL REQUIRED
1)Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2
2)Kerosene as solvent
3) Concentrated sulphuric acid
4) Cigarettes

10. REQUIREMENTS
1) 250 ml of water
2) Filter paper
3) Separating funnel
4) China dish
5) Physical balance
6) Glass rod

11. PROCEDURE
 Collect different samples of cigarettes.
 Remove the covers and collect the contents of the
cigarettes on separate pieces of papers. Weight 1
gram of each sample using a physical balance and
label them. Place them in a dry place.
 Dissolve each sample in Calcium Hydroxide
solution taken in 100 ml beakers. Stir them with
the help of a glass rod.
 Filter the different solution after the Nicotine has
fully dissolved. Collect them separately in
separating funnels.
 Add two test tubes of Kerosene oil to each
separating funnel. Before pouring ensure that the
value is closed.

12.  After pouring shake the mixture vigorously in
order to mix the two liquids and leave it for two
days without disturbing. Two layers – one heavy
layer in the top separates out.
 Open the value of the funnel and let the heavy
layer out through the open valve. The lighter layer
remains in the separating funnel.
 Add half a test tube of concentrated Sulphuric acid
to each separating funnel. Again shake it
vigorously in order to mix them and leave it for
sometime.
 Two layers are formed – one heavy (dark down)
layer at the bottom and another lighter (almost
transparent) layer on the top.
 Open the value of the separating funnel and
collect the heavier layer in a test tube.
 Now transfer contents into a china dish. Repeat
the same procedure for the different samples and

13. label them after the name of the cigarettes from
which they have been obtained.
 Heat the crystals in liquid form and ultimately
subject them to cold water and leave them for a
day or two days.
 Weight the crystals hence obtained with the help
of physical balance.

14. OBSERVATION
S.No Cigarette sample Quantity of
Nicotine
sulphate
1 Country cigarette (beedi) 0.17 gram
2 Sample A 0.06 gram
3 Sample B 0.05 gram
RESULT
The analysis showed relatively higher levels of nicotine
in tobacco from beedis (0.17g) as compared to
cigarettes (0.06 in sample A and 0.05g in sample B)

15. CONCLUSION
This study conclude that the nicotine content in
tobacco contained in country cigarettes (beedi) is
higher compared to the content in company
manufactured branded cigarettes.

16. ADICTIVE NATURE OF
TOBACCO
Addictive nature of nicotine:
Nicotine is very addictive. It increase the release of
brain chemical called neurotransmitter, which help
regulate mood and behavior. One of these
neurotransmitters is dopamine, which makes one feel
good. Getting that dopamine boost is a part of the
addiction process.
Nicotine dependence, also referred to as tobacco
dependence, involves behavioral as well as physical
factors.
Physical addiction:
Over 13 million smokers try to quit each year, yet less
than 5% of those who attempt to quite unaided are
cigarette free after 6-12 months. For one simple
reason- A nicotine addiction is harder to beat then
most people realize. Nicotine from smoking changes
the structure and function of your brain when the
brain. When the brain stops getting the nicotine it’s
used to, you begin feeling strong withdrawal cravings.

17. You think you want a cigarette when actually your
brain wants nicotine.
Let’s take a look at how nicotine addiction works each
puff on a cigarette sends nicotine to the brain within
10 sec. immediately we feel more alert and calm. It
feels good, so we have another puff. And another,
soon the brain’s chemical structure actually changes. It
becomes hooked into wanting more and more nicotine
to make the effect last.
Physical dependence on nicotine is defined by the
appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms
when the substance is suddenly discontinued. So,
while physical dependency can be a major factor in the
psychology of addiction and most often becomes a
primary motivator in the continuation of an addiction,
the initial primary attribution of an addictive substance
is usually its ability to induced pleasure, although with
continued use the goal is not so much to induce
pleasure as it is to relieve the anxiety caused by the
absence of a given addictive substance, causing it to
become used compulsively.
The speed with which a given individual become
addicted to nicotine varies with the substance,
frequency of use, means of ingestion, intensity of
pleasure as euphoria and individual genetic and

18. psychological susceptibility. Some people may exhibit
addictive tendencies from the moment of first
intoxication. While most people can smoke socially
without becoming addicted. Opioid dependent
individual had different responses to even low dose of
opioids then the majority of people, although this may
be due to variety of other factors, as opioids use
heavily stimulates pleasure- inducing
neurotransmitters in brain. Nonetheless because of
these variations in addiction to the adoption and twin
studies that have been well replicated, much of
medical community is satisfied that addiction is in part
genetically moderated. That is once genetic makeup
may regulate how susceptible one is to a substance
and how easily one may become psychological
attached to a pleasurable routine.
Physical addiction:
Psychological dependency is a dependency of mind and
lead to the psychological withdrawal symptoms such as
insomnia, anorexia, irritability etc. addiction can in
theory be derived from any rewarding behavior and is
believed to be strongly associated with the
dopaminergic system of the brain reward system (as in
case of cocaine and amphetamines) some claim that it
is a habitual means to avoid undeserved activity but

19. typically it is only show to a clinical level in individuals
who have emotional, social or psychological
dysfunctions (it is defined as such) replacing normal
positive stimuli not otherwise attained.
A person who is physically dependent but not
psychologically dependent can have their dose slowly
dropped until they are no longer dependent. However,
if a person is psychologically dependent they are still at
serious risk for relapse into abuse and subsequent
physical dependence.
Psychological dependence does not have to be limited
only to substance, even activities and behavioural
patterns can be considered addictions if they become
uncontrollable.

21. HEALTH EFFECT
Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable
death globally. Tobacco use leads most commonly to
diseases affecting the heart, liver and lungs, with
smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks,
strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
((OPB)(including emphysema and chronic bronchitis)
and cancer-lung cancer, cancer of larynx and mouth
etc. it also causes peripheral vascular diseases and
hypertension. The effect depend on the no. of years
that a person smokes. Starting smoking earlier in life
and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increase the risk of
disease. Also, environmental tobacco smoke or
secondhand smoke has been shown to cause adverse
health effect in people of all ages. Cigarettes sold in
under-developed countries tend to have higher tar
content and are less likely to be filtered, potentially
increasing vulnerability to tobacco related disease in
these regions.
The who estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million
course of the 20th
century. Similarly the United states
centers for disease control and prevention describes
tobacco use as “the single most important preventable

22. risk to human health in developed countries and an
important cause of premature death World Wide”
several countries have taken measures to control the
consumption of tobacco with usage and scales
restrictions as well as warning messages printed on
packing.
Smoke contains several carcinogenic pyrolytic products
that bind to DNA and cause many genetic mutation
there are 45 known or suspected chemical
carcinogenic in cigarette smoke. Tobacco also contain
nicotine which are highly addictive psychoactive drug.
When tobacco is smoked, nicotine, which is highly
causes physical and psychological dependence.
Tobacco use is a significant factor in miscarriage among
pregnant smokers, it contribute to a no. of other
threats to the health of fetus such as premature births
and low birth weight and increase by 1.42 three times
the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
The result of scientific studies done in neonatals rats
seems to indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke in
the womb may reduce the fetal brains ability to
recognize hypoxic conditions, thus increasing the
chance of accidental asphyxiation incidence of
importance is approximately 85% higher in male
smokers compared to non-smokers and is a key factor
causing erectile dysfunction (ED).

23. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am grateful to all those who have guide me by all
means in preparation of this project.
I’m highly thankful to my respected chemistry teacher
Mrs. Rachana Dixit Maheshwari for the valuable
guidance, help and constant encouragement in the
completion of this project.
Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and
friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project
within the limited time frame.
Lastly I would like to thank all my supporters who have
motivated me to fulfil my project before the time line.
MUKTI
XII(Science)

24. CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mukti, a student of class XII
Science, has completed her chemistry project under
the guidance of Mrs. Rachana Dixit Maheshwari
(subject teacher) during the year 2023-24.
Regarding the investigatory project entitled
‘‘Extraction of Nicotine Sulphate from sample of
Cigarettes’’
For chemistry department under direct supervision of
the undersigned as per the requirement for the Board
Examination.
Teacher’s signature: Principal’s signature:
Examiner’s signature:

25. BIBLOGRAPHY
 www.en.wikipedia.com
 http;//emedicine.medscape.com/article/287555-
overview www.righthealth.com
 www.netdoctor.co.uk
 www.nicorette.com
 ‘‘World Health Survey’’ by the World Health
Organization (WHO)
 ‘‘Practical Chemistry for Class XII’’ by Ratna Sagar
Publication
 ‘‘Science Reporter’’ July,2010 edition

26. Chemistry Project Work
Topic :- Extraction of Nicotine Sulphate
from Sample of Cigarettes.
Name – Mukti
Class – XII (Science)
Roll number – 22
Submitted to: