title: PB-210 concentrations in cigarettes tobaccos and radiation doses to the smokers.
abstract: Cigarette smoking is a source of radiation exposure due to the concentrations of natural radionuclides in the tobacco leaves. From the health point of view, measurement of (210)Pb and (210)Po contents in cigarette tobacco is important to assess the radiological effects associated with the tobacco smoking for the smokers. In the present study, activity concentrations of (210)Pb, which is a (210)Po precursor in the (238)U-decay series, were measured in cigarette tobaccos. Samples of nine different commonly sold brands of cigarette tobaccos were analysed by employing a planar high purity germanium (HPGe) low background detector. Activity concentrations of (210)Pb were measured from its gamma peak at 47 keV. Mean activity concentration of (210)Pb was measured to be 13 +/- 4 Bq kg(-1) from all samples analysed. The annual committed effective dose for a smoker and the collective committed effective dose corresponding to annual cigarettes production were estimated to be 64 +/- 20 microSv and 0.6 x 10(2) man-Sv, respectively.
authors: Directorate General of Local Government and Community Development Department, Punjab, 4th Floor, Local Government Complex, Sanda Road, Lahore, Pakistan. snatahir@cyber.net.pk
authors: S N A
authors: SN
authors: Tahir
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Alaamer
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005857:Germanium / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D005857:Germanium; D011059:Polonium