Abstract: To study the effects of filter structure on the retention and distribution patterns of phenolic compounds in cigarette filters,the retention rates of normal acetate filter to phenol,o-cresol,m/p-cresol,hydroquinone,resorcin and catechol under ISO and Health Canadian Intense(HCI) smoking regimes were compared,and the spatial distribution patterns of the 7 phenolic compounds in filter were investigated.The retention behavior in peripherally grooved acetate filter,paper-acetate combined filter and ventilated cavity acetate filter was also investigated under ISO smoking regime.The results showed that:1) The retention rate of normal acetate filter to phenolic compounds under ISO smoking regime ranged from 49% to 87%,and that to phenol and o/m/p-cresol was higher than to the others.Under HCI smoking regime,the retention rate to phenol and o/m/p-cresol increased to a certain extent,while that to the others decreased.2) The filters in the order of retention rate to phenolic compounds were:normal acetate filter≈peripherally grooved acetate filter>paper-acetate combined filter>ventilated cavity acetate filter.3) Acetate filter possessed obvious retention selectivity to phenolic compounds,which was the result of the interaction between phenolic compounds and filter materials.