Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Feb 2:2014:413614.
doi: 10.1155/2014/413614. eCollection 2014.

Characterization of toxic metals in tobacco, tobacco smoke, and cigarette ash from selected imported and local brands in Pakistan

Huma Ajab  1 , Asim Yaqub  2 , Salman Akbar Malik  3 , Muhammad Junaid  4 , Sadia Yasmeen  3 , Mohd Azmuddin Abdullah  1
Affiliations

Characterization of toxic metals in tobacco, tobacco smoke, and cigarette ash from selected imported and local brands in Pakistan

Huma Ajab et al. ScientificWorldJournal. .

Abstract

In this study, concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr were determined in tobacco, tobacco smoke-condensate, and cigarette ash for selected brands used in Pakistan. Smoking apparatus was designed for metal extraction from cigarette smoke. Samples were digested through microwave digester and then analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). Higher concentration of Ni was detected in imported brands than the counterparts in the local brands. Pb levels were however higher in local brands while significant concentration of Cd was observed in both brands. For Cr, the level in tobacco of local brands was higher than their emitted smoke, whereas imported brands showed higher level in smoke than in tobacco. The cigarette ash retained 65 to 75% of the metal and about 25 to 30% went into the body. While this study revealed the serious requirement to standardize the manufacturing of tobacco products, more importantly is the urgent need for stronger enforcements to put in place to alert the general population about the hazardous effects of cigarettes and the health risks associated with these toxic metals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Smoking apparatus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison between local and imported cigarette brands in tobacco.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison between local and imported cigarette brands in smoke.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison between local and imported cigarette brands in ash.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pappas RS, Polzin GM, Watson CH, Ashley DL. Cadmium, lead, and thallium in smoke particulate from counterfeit cigarettes compared to authentic US brands. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2007;45(2):202–209. - PubMed
    1. Verma S, Yadav S, Singh I. Trace metal concentration in different Indian tobacco products and related health implications. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2010;48(8-9):2291–2297. - PubMed
    1. IARC. Inorganic and organic lead compounds. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. 2004;87:19351–16411. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Smith CJ, Livingston SD, Doolittle DJ. An international literature survey of ’IARC group I carcinogens’ reported in mainstream cigarette smoke. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 1997;35(10-11):1107–1130. - PubMed
    1. Smith CJ, Perfetti TA, Garg R, Hansch C. IARC carcinogens reported in cigarette mainstream smoke and their calculated log P values. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2003;41(6):807–817. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources