Inspired by the science behind smokeless products and the mission to build a smoke-free future, we meet Dr. Catherine Gujon, who leads the team of scientists in the Chemistry Research Department in the Science and Innovation Department in the Product Development category. ") At the Philipp Morris International Research Center in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

We talk to her about the inspiration behind her decision to pursue science, as well as the team she works with to implement strategies for low-risk products and company transformation.

Supports a set of ISO and other accredited methods for validation of research in the field of chemistry.

Dr. Gujon holds a Master's degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Claude Bernard University in Lyon, France, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Geneva.

As a teenager, I played a musical instrument, read passionately, loved history, but I wanted to do these things as a hobby.

I was not particularly attracted to foreign languages, so I decided to study biology and chemistry.

In high school, I had a great chemistry teacher who organized practical experiments for us every Saturday morning, simply because he wanted to share his passion for this science.

I think that was the catalyst for my decision to study chemistry at university.

And then over the years I realized that I was attracted to applied science and to this day I am convinced that I made the right choice.

You work for a smoke-free future.

How far are we from this future? 

We are making great strides towards fulfilling our vision of building a smoke-free future.

Our ambition is for smokeless products to account for more than 50% of the total net revenue of Philip Morris International in 2025. And we believe that with the right regulatory framework, dialogue and support from civil society, cigarette sales in many countries can be stopped after 10 to 15 years.

Our data for the first quarter show that a total of 17.9 million have become users of the smokeless alternative to FMI, excluding consumers in Russia and Ukraine, of whom 12.7 million have switched to this alternative and quit smoking, and the rest are at various stages from the process of complete transition of the product.

This is a much higher percentage of completely switched to this product than the percentage for other smokeless products available on the world market.

Many people do not distinguish between cigarette smoke and aerosol from heated tobacco products.

Could you explain the similarities and differences between them? 

Cigarette smoke contains solid particles and thousands of chemicals that are formed at high temperatures when materials burn.

About 100 of these substances have been identified by health authorities as harmful and potentially harmful.

On the other hand, the aerosol formed at low temperatures in the process of evaporation / condensation has a much simpler composition than cigarette smoke and does not generate solid particles.

That is why it is important to avoid burning in smokeless products, as it is the cause of smoke.  

What tests and experiments do you perform and what equipment do you have in your laboratories? 

My work remains related to chemistry: building advanced analytical skills, gathering evidence to support product claims by developing scientific methods in the field of chemistry, improving the effectiveness of products developed at our research center in Switzerland.

To meet these challenges, we perform state-of-the-art analyzes, such as gas or liquid chromatography in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

It is equally important that we attract scientists with many years of experience and in-depth knowledge in the field of data processing.

One of the analyzes we do, for example, is rapid screening to track selected chemical compounds in the context of product development and improvement.

On the other hand,

the detailed characterization of the aerosol composition may require more effort depending on the complexity of the sample analyzed.

The measurement of air pollutants is one of the areas in which we have developed modern capabilities, and this assessment lasts several weeks.

Could you tell us a little more about Philip Morris International's research on indoor air quality and the human footprint, which examines the limits of exposure to indoor air pollutants and compares it with international standards?

What substances have been identified in these studies? 

The aim of the indoor air quality study * is to quantify differences not only in the concentrations of pollutants before and after the use of a smokeless product, but also to determine the composition of the aerosol released into the environment.

The data collected in this way help consumers to better understand the difference between the use of cigarettes and smokeless products indoors.

It is not enough to measure just one pollutant to get an idea of ​​indoor air quality.

Therefore, we need to compile a representative set of pollutants and measure combustion markers, carbonyl compounds or volatile organic compounds, which are among the most important air pollutants.

We do this by comparing the burning of tealights, incense sticks and the use of cigarettes under the same conditions.

So we can find markers of combustion, but also many other known pollutants released by the use of incense sticks or cigarettes.

On the other hand, we see that the results after using 12 sticks for a device for heating tobacco in the room are very different.

In fact, the absence of an important pollutant, namely tobacco smoke, in the environment has been confirmed.

In addition, a number of our real-world studies have shown that the use of Philip Morris International's genuine tobacco heating device does not have a negative effect on indoor air and does not lead to exposure of others above the thresholds set in the current quality standards. in the air, in rooms where the normative requirements for ventilation are observed.

* Comprehensive Air Quality Assessment of the Tobacco Heating System 2.2 under Simulated Indoor Environments

If you had to choose an interesting story from your research at Philip Morris International, what would it be?    

This choice is difficult because every day is interesting!

Still, I had the chance to start my career right in the field of smokeless products.

Our department, which was very small at the time, was organized as a startup: very dynamic and open to new ideas, with a lot of teamwork and a strong motivation to create something new.

Now that we see the success of smokeless products, I think it has been a privilege for me to be part of this process from the very beginning.

The material is published with the support of Philip Morris Bulgaria