Distringuishing Cigarette Ash

[DGMaher]

Is it possible to distinguish different brands of cigarette ash due to its chemical composition? If so, what are the possible reaction tests?

[Carvone]

I would think that different cigarette brands would be best distinguished by their aroma compounds evolved during burning and subsequently run on GC/MS by either solvent extraction, SPME, SBSE or headspace analysis techniques, whereas the ash contents after burning based on ICP-OES or ICP-MS would best distinguish the growing/soil conditions of the tobacco and possibly the location where it was grown.