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
. 2015 Jul 22:2:1019-1023.
doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2015.07.011. eCollection 2015.

Human health hazards of poly aromatic hydrocarbons in Nigerian smokeless tobacco

Orish Ebere Orisakwe  1 , Zelinjo Nkeiruka Igweze  2 , Kenneth Obinna Okolo  2 , Nnaemeka Arinze Udowelle  1
Affiliations

Human health hazards of poly aromatic hydrocarbons in Nigerian smokeless tobacco

Orish Ebere Orisakwe et al. Toxicol Rep. .

Abstract

Recently we investigated the heavy metal hazards of Nigerian smokeless tobacco products 'STP'. Since 'STPs' are advocated as safer alternatives to cigarets, the public health implication should be ascertained. This is a risk assessment of poly aromatic hydrocarbons 'PAHs' in 'STPs' used in Nigeria. Thirty 'STPs' from different parts (South East, South West, Niger Delta and North Central) of Nigeria were studied. The 15 PAHs were assayed using gas chromatographic system (6890 series and 6890 plus) equipped with a quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (Agilent 5975 MSD) after ultrasonic extraction of the 'STPs' and clean up of the extract. Toxicity equivalent of benzo[a]pyrene concentration(μg/kg) in 'STPs'were determined. The daily exposure and the cancer risk associated with exposure to STP were calculated. Sample A1 (south east) had the highest concentration of PAH 225.84 μg/kg, while sampleA3 (North central) had the least PAH concentration of 1.09 μg/kg. 'STPs' from South East showed highest levels of PAHs. The total B[a]P TEQ of the 'STPs' from the South East ranged from 0.24 to 29.23, South West ranged from 0.94 to 14.55, Niger Delta ranged from 2.28 to 22.88, and North Central ranged from 0.11 to 9.47. The calculated risk estimates for 'STPs' from the South East ranged from 5.43 E-05 to 4.50 E-07, South West 2.70 E-05 to 1.74 E-06, Niger Delta 4.30 E-05 to 4.20 E-06, and North Central 1.75 E-05 to 2.08 E0-7. Although the calculated risk estimates seem to be within or below the the U.S. EPA cancer risk range of 1 × 10-4-1 × 10-6, the total B[a]P TEQ of the STPs suggest a more indepth risk assessment in animal model to ascertain the safety of PAHs in Nigerian 'STPs'.

Keywords: Poly aromatic hydrocarbons; Public health; Risk assessment; Smokeless tobacco.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Atlanta, GA: 2005. Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual (Update) (January)
    1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; Atlanta, GA: 1995. Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - PubMed
    1. Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Fostoria, Wood County, Ohio: 2014. Health Consultation, EPA FACILITY ID: OHN000510571. (February)
    1. Ayo-Yusuf O.A., Connolly G.N. Applying toxicological risk assessment principles to constituents of smokeless tobacco products: implications for product regulation. Tob. Control. 2011;20:53–57. - PubMed
    1. Boffetta P., Heccht S.S., Gray N., Gupta P., Straif K. Smokeless tobacco and cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2007;9:667–675. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources