Cadmium Concentration in Cigarette Brands, Tobacco Leaves, and Smokers Blood Samples

Background and Aim: The present study sought to determine cadmium (Cd) concentration in three different types of tobacco leaves, cigarette smokers blood, and certain cigarette brands that are both imported from abroad and produced in Iran.Materials and Methods: The participants consisted of male volunteers of 4065 years old whose blood samples were collected and categorized into four distinct groups of cigarette smokers (N=40) based on the number of cigarettes every participant would smoke per day. Serum concentrations of heavy metal were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA). Moreover, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy technique was used to determine all of the samples examined in this research.Results: Mean concentrations of Cd in imported cigarettes brands and cigarettes produced in Iran were 1.89±o.12 µg/g (dry weight) and 1.44±0.8 µg/g (dry weight) respectively. Average levels of Cd in smokers’ blood with 10, 20, 30, and 40 cigarettes per day were 1.31±0.14, 2.42±0.17, 3.18±0.21, and 4.38±0.18 µg per liter respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd in Hakan, Kasham and Borazjan tobacco were 2.18 ± 0.12, 2.43±0.9, and 2.89±017µ/g (dry weight) respectively.Conclusion: The data presented in this study did not indicate any significant difference between the cigarette brands produced in Iran, while Rothman cigarette brand had the highest Cd concentrations among the imported cigarettes. The blood Cd concentration in smokers that depends on the number of cigarette smoked per day was about four times higher than nonsmokers.