Nicotine (1-methyl-2-[3-pyridyl-pyrrolidine], C10H14N2), a major alkaloid in tobacco plants, is a significant factor of evaluation for tobacco and cigarettes. Nicotine plays a critical role in smoking addiction and is well known to be harmful to human beings, because it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and biological membranes. Meanwhile, with large quantities of tobacco products being produced and consumed, tobacco waste, which includes many toxic substances such as nicotine, aminobiphenyl, naphthylamine, and benzo(a)- pyrene, is entering the environment. Moreover, a number of toxic and harmful substances containing nicotine and other alkaloids are generated in tobacco processing and cannot be recycled, producing serious environmental problems.
