Classic cigarette filters vs activated carbon filters
The answer at a glance
Classic cigarette filters made of cellulose acetate mainly hold back coarse particles – solid for cigarettes, a compromise for everything else. Activated carbon filters additionally adsorb pollutants directly from the smoke: studies show up to 40 % fewer free radicals and around 50 % less p-benzosemiquinone. Anyone who rolls their own is therefore clearly better off with a high-quality activated carbon filter – ideally with fine coconut activated carbon and open-pored cellulose caps.
What does an activated carbon filter do for cigarettes?
An activated carbon filter supplements the classic cellulose acetate filter with a layer of porous activated carbon that adsorbs gaseous compounds from the smoke. While a normal filter mainly holds back particles and tar, the activated carbon additionally binds some of the volatile substances. The result is a noticeably cooler, softer and less scratchy draw.
Some swear by them, others are still a little sceptical - activated carbon filters. Today we want to draw the big comparison between them and the classic cigarette filter, to give you an overview of which is the right filter for which situation. For a meaningful result, we need to split our comparison up a little. I'm sure the following results will surprise you. So let's get started:
What is going to be smoked?
Cigarette or joint - what will it be? Depending entirely on the answer to this question, one filter is better suited than the other, but why is that?
Let's take a look at the structure of both:
Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate
The classic cigarette filter comes in various sizes and diameters. The most common variant, however, is probably the slim cigarette filter with a length of 15 mm and a diameter of 6 mm. These cigarette filters are often made of very tightly pressed cellulose acetate. This material reduces some of the pollutants contained in cigarette smoke. Among other things, the smoke contains
- tar
- nicotine
- arsenic
- lead
- hydrogen cyanide
A pure cellulose acetate filter mainly holds back particle-bound components such as tar and also ensures that larger pieces of tobacco don't end up in your mouth. Gaseous substances such as hydrogen cyanide, on the other hand, are barely retained. So a filter does not make smoking harmless – it merely reduces a portion of the pollutants. How strong this reduction is cannot be guaranteed and depends heavily on which filter and which tobacco is actually smoked (this also applies to simple paper filters). So this only serves as a rough indication for you.
Activated carbon filters - structure:
There are now numerous manufacturers of activated carbon filters, which also makes it much harder to define the filter structure. For a better comparison, here too we use activated carbon filters in the well-known "tip size". At 25 mm, these are somewhat longer than conventional cigarette filters, but likewise 6 mm in diameter. Inside, filtering is done with pieces of activated carbon (mostly coconut or hard coal).
If you're interested in more detail about what makes the perfect activated carbon filter and how it works in detail, then take a look at our filter guide.
The aim of the activated carbon inside is to filter as many pollutants as possible out of the passing smoke. To do this, it makes use of the law of adsorption. In this process, pollutants are bound to the surface of the activated carbon. Independent studies from 2018 indicate that, compared with regular cigarette filters, activated carbon filters effectively let through 40 % fewer free radicals. A separate study showed that activated carbon filters can reduce exposure to p-benzosemiquinone, an irritant substance in cigarette smoke, by up to 50 %. They therefore have an increased efficiency in filtering out carcinogenic substances compared with conventional cigarette filters.
So, coming back to the question posed at the beginning, it can be said that cigarette filters, thanks to their structure, are generally well suited for smoking tobacco. They conscientiously filter coarse bits as well as tar and nicotine out of the smoke. They also reduce an annoying scratchy sensation while smoking.
For use in joints, however, they are not suitable. This is mainly due to their tightly pressed shape, which can also filter out the desired active substances such as THC and CBD when smoking a joint.
As for the activated carbon filter, it can be said that it can generally also be used when smoking tobacco, but in that case large amounts of nicotine and tar will remain in the filter as well. So for anyone who wants to achieve smoking with fewer pollutants or wants to wean themselves off tobacco smoke completely in the long term, rolling in such a filter is definitely worthwhile.
Carbon filters, however, show their best results when used in a joint. Here, pollutants from tobacco smoke as well as from the combustion process are removed on a large scale, while the active substances of the cannabis can largely pass through the filter undisturbed. This offers the consumer the advantage of a significantly improved smoking experience. In addition, the taste is not distorted by activated carbon filters with an open-pored cellulose cap, such as the "Medusafilter", because no activated carbon dust gets into the throat. Your lungs will thank you. You can find out what makes the perfect activated carbon filter here.
⇨ When smoking without a filter, we take in over 7000 different chemicals - many of them still unresearched.
The state of the health effects of smoking with filters should now be conclusively answered. But what about the health of our environment? What environmental impact do the filters have?
Differences in environmental impact
Admittedly, it's difficult to show a clear-cut result here, since there are now almost countless filter variants on the market, some of which differ greatly from one another.
We'll try anyway:
Cigarette filters are often made of tightly pressed cellulose acetate:
This is a biodegradable, bio-based plastic that can be used, for example, to produce sustainable packaging for food. Accordingly, it also ends up in municipal waste. Cellulose acetate (abbreviated CA.) is indeed classified among the thermoplastics, but it is more of a modified natural material. During production, cellulose, usually present in the form of natural pulp, is esterified with acetic acid and acetic anhydride. A process that by now runs in a completely environmentally friendly way.
The only (big) problem: In the cigarette filter, the cellulose acetate is pressed very tightly in order to achieve the highest possible filtering results - because of this, however, liquid (droplets while smoking or rain after careless disposal) has no way of penetrating to the inside to start the decomposition process there (they break down more slowly). This brings a decomposition time of ten to 15 years with it. Cigarette butts are toxic to our environment and threaten to contaminate 1000 litres of the water in our waters. Per filter! According to the WHO (World Health Organization), about 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are thrown away into nature every year, polluting it in this way. An incredible number. This not only goes hand in hand with harmful effects on our environment, it also affects us and our food. Toxic soils yield a smaller and poorer harvest.
That's why it's so important that they are disposed of properly and end up in the waste (ashtrays).
By now, however, there are also cigarette filters made of hemp with a significantly shorter decomposition time and the same density. In future they will serve as an alternative. Disposing of them properly is just as important, though. Otherwise the absorbed pollutants still end up in the environment and are largely independent of the decomposition time.
But what about activated carbon filters?
Activated carbon filters with caps made of ceramic or plastic:
The ceramic filter consists of a cardboard tube, design paper and the two ceramic caps it is named after. Ceramic is one of the oldest materials in human history. Although it is basically a natural product, a large amount of energy is still needed to produce ceramic, because the ceramic often has to be heated or sintered for 6-12 hours at 1200 °C. This means that any claim to environmental compatibility already falls away during production. Current studies show that in particular the use of fossil fuels to heat the kilns in the mass production of ceramic products harms the environment, because this leads to high emissions. In addition, ceramic is not biodegradable and can therefore easily outlast a human lifetime or even entire generations. So if we compare this result with that of the cigarette butt, we have to say:
⇨ The cigarette filter poses a problem because of its strong density and long decomposition time, but is in principle environmentally compatible to produce.
⇨ With the activated carbon filter with a ceramic cap, the "problem" begins even earlier. The manufacturing process devours enormous amounts of energy. During later disposal, the pollutants are indeed sealed in the activated carbon, but ceramic is not biodegradable.
With the activated carbon filter with plastic caps, the situation is very similar, but here microplastic particles additionally end up in the environment.
But why make compromises?
We recommend state-of-the-art activated carbon filters with open-pored cellulose caps and fine coconut activated carbon. They are not only environmentally neutral and made in Germany, but also serve a smoking pleasure with fewer pollutants.
100 % unadulterated taste with 0 % clogging.
So do yourself and the environment some good and try our activated carbon filters from Medusafilters. Made in Germany with heart and solar power, to exceed even your highest expectations. Experience the difference now!
By the way, not only are our tubes 100% recyclable, but all other components are also fully biodegradable.
Still wondering whether a glass filter would be the better alternative? Then read our comparison glass filter vs. activated carbon filter.
The matching accessories from Medusafilters
Frequently asked questions about the comparison of filters
An activated carbon filter is a cigarette or rolling filter that, in addition to the white cellulose acetate, contains a chamber with activated carbon granulate. The smoke first flows through the fibres and then through the carbon, which adsorbs some of the gaseous components. The result is a cooler, softer and less scratchy draw compared with the pure standard filter.
That depends on the goal. In terms of taste and draw sensation, activated carbon filters offer a noticeable advantage: the draw becomes cooler and softer, the mouthpiece discolours more slowly. In terms of health, no filter is a free pass, smoking remains harmful. For comfort and a cleaner taste, many find activated carbon more pleasant, but this involves ongoing costs, because the filters are replaced after each smoke.
No, classic activated carbon filters are single-use products. As soon as the pores of the carbon are saturated, the adsorption effect diminishes and the filter fills up with condensate. For another smoke, it's best to use a fresh filter. Anyone who wants to filter reusably reaches for a washable glass filter, which processes the smoke via cooling and condensation.
No. Activated carbon can adsorb some of the gaseous smoke components and make the draw softer, but it does not remove all pollutants. No filter makes smoking harmless – the health risk remains. You should therefore understand activated carbon filters as a comfort and taste factor that improves cooling and filtering, and not as a protective or health measure.
That depends on your roll. For thin roll-ups and king-size papers, the 6 mm activated carbon filter (slim) is the standard and provides a cooler, filtered draw. At Medusafilters you get exactly these 6 mm activated carbon filters made of coconut activated carbon, which can simply be attached to the mouthpiece or pushed into the tip. For thicker rolls, a glass filter in 8 to 12 mm additionally fits.
Both cool the smoke, but work differently. Activated carbon filters additionally adsorb gaseous components, but are single-use products. Reusable glass filters filter purely mechanically via condensation, can be washed out and used again and again – but they lack the adsorption effect. Anyone who wants the strongest filtering effect per draw takes activated carbon; anyone who wants to filter more sustainably and without ongoing costs is well served with a glass filter from Medusafilters.
This might also interest you:
Sources:
Effect of Charcoal in Cigarette Filters on Free Radicals in Mainstream Smoke https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Activated charcoal filter effectively reduces p-benzosemiquinone from the mainstream cigarette smoke and prevents emphysema https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/5789/presentation/23033
Disclaimer:
This content is intended for educational purposes only. The information provided comes from research work, personal expert discussions and our own experiences, which have been compiled together.
Activated carbon filter vs. normal filter: what is the difference?
A normal cigarette filter is made of cellulose acetate and mainly holds back particles and tar mechanically. An activated carbon filter additionally works via adsorption and binds some of the gaseous components.
The difference lies in the filtering principle. The classic cellulose acetate filter works like a fine sieve: the white fibres catch particles, condensate and part of the tar, but it barely reaches gaseous compounds. An activated carbon filter fills exactly this gap. The porous carbon has an enormously large internal surface on which volatile molecules accumulate. That's why the draw with activated carbon tastes clearer and less harsh to many. In practice, you notice the difference above all in three points: the draw becomes cooler, softer, and the mouthpiece discolours more slowly. Important to know: activated carbon does not make smoking harmless, it merely changes the filtering behaviour and the taste. Anyone who wants to test the effect themselves combines a 6 mm activated carbon filter with their usual roll and compares directly with a pure standard filter.
How is a classic cigarette filter constructed?
A conventional cigarette filter consists of thousands of ultra-thin cellulose acetate fibres that, crimped, bundled and wrapped in paper, form a solid filter rod.
Cellulose acetate is a cellulose-based material. In the filter, the fibres are glued and formed into a cylindrical rod, creating many small gaps through which the smoke flows. Along the way, particles, moisture and part of the tar stick to the fibres – which is exactly why a used filter turns brownish. An activated carbon filter takes up this principle and pushes a chamber with activated carbon granulate between the fibre packets. The smoke thus first passes the fibres and then the carbon; some variants work in multiple stages with carbon in the middle and acetate at both ends. For roll-your-own smokers, the carbon is available as a separate slip-on or push-in filter, usually with a 6 mm diameter. In this way, a classic filter can be easily extended by an activated carbon stage without changing the rolling technique.
What does an activated carbon filter filter out?
Activated carbon mainly binds gaseous and strongly odorous compounds from the smoke, while the fibre portion continues to hold back particles, condensate and part of the tar.
Activated carbon is created when carbon-rich material – at Medusafilters from coconut shells – is strongly heated in the absence of air and then activated. This forms a network of the finest pores with a huge internal surface. Volatile molecules accumulate on this surface (adsorption). In the case of smoke, this affects, among other things, part of the aromatic and sulphur-containing gases that are partly responsible for a scratchy taste and pungent smell. That's why many perceive the draw with activated carbon as rounder and less biting. What activated carbon does not achieve: it does not remove all components, and no filter makes smoke harmless. The effect also wears off as soon as the pores are saturated – which is why activated carbon filters are single-use products for one smoke. Reusable glass filters, on the other hand, filter purely mechanically via cooling and condensation and can be washed out.
Is a cigarette filter attachment worthwhile?
An activated carbon attachment is worthwhile if you want a cooler, softer draw and less scratching in the throat. It does not provide a health free pass.
Whether an attachment is worth it depends on the goal. For taste and draw sensation, activated carbon has a noticeable effect: on the longer path through fibres and carbon, the smoke is cooled and filtered more strongly, and the mouthpiece stays clean longer. Especially those who roll their own and find dry, hot smoke unpleasant benefit from the cooler draw, and the herbs' or tobacco's own flavour comes through more clearly for many. You should reckon with ongoing costs, because each filter is used only once. This is how you use an activated carbon filter correctly:
- Roll your filter or joint as usual and leave a little space at the mouthpiece.
- Put the 6 mm activated carbon filter on the outside of the mouthpiece or push it into the tip.
- Draw slowly – the smoke first passes the acetate fibres, then the carbon.
- Replace the filter after the smoke, as soon as the draw becomes heavier or the taste changes.
What do studies say about activated carbon filters when smoking?
Studies show that activated carbon in cigarette filters can adsorb some of the gaseous smoke components. However, this does not result in a health-safe cigarette.
Research on activated carbon filters goes back decades. The broad consensus: activated carbon can partly hold back certain volatile organic compounds and gas-phase components from the smoke, because they adsorb onto the porous surface. How strong the effect is depends on the amount of carbon, the grain size, the draw strength and how saturated the carbon already is. Reputable sources repeatedly emphasise two points: first, activated carbon filters selectively – it acts on gases, not on every component equally. Second, no filter reduces the risk of smoking to zero; smoking remains harmful to health. Concrete percentages fluctuate greatly depending on the study design and cannot be applied across the board. Anyone who wants to put the effect into perspective should therefore see activated carbon as a comfort and taste factor and not as a protective measure.
Which size fits: 6 mm activated carbon or glass filter?
For roll-ups, the 6 mm activated carbon filter is the standard. Anyone who wants to filter reusably reaches for the glass filter, which is available in 8 to 12 mm.
The size determines the fit and the draw sensation. The 6 mm activated carbon filter (slim) fits into most thin rolls and king-size papers and produces a somewhat firmer, easily controllable draw. It consists of an activated carbon chamber between two fibre caps that prevent granulate from getting into the mouth. At Medusafilters, the carbon is obtained from coconut shells, the filter measures around 6 mm in diameter and about 25 mm in length – Made in Germany. In general, look for densely packed carbon and stable end caps so that nothing trickles through. Anyone who doesn't want single-use filters takes a reusable glass filter: the twisted glass shape cools the smoke via condensation, can be washed out and used again and again. In return, it lacks the adsorption effect of activated carbon. Which variant fits better is ultimately a matter of taste and a question of the ongoing costs.