title: Estimation of toxic elements in the samples of different cigarettes and their impact on human health of Irish hypertensive consumers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette smoking interferes with the metal homeostasis of the human body, which plays a crucial role for maintaining the health. A significant flux of heavy metals, among other toxins, reaches the lungs through smoking. In the present study, the relationship between toxic element (TE) exposure via cigarette smoking and hypertension incidence in population living in Dublin, Ireland is investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The different brands of cigarette (filler tobacco, filter and ash) consumed by the studied population were analyzed for cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb). The concentrations of TEs in biological samples and different components of cigarette were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer after microwave-assisted acid digestion. The validity and accuracy of the methodology were checked using certified reference materials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The filler tobacco of different branded cigarettes contains Cd, Ni and Pb concentrations in the ranges of 1.73-2.02, 0.715-1.52 and 0.378-1.16 μg/cigarette, respectively. The results of this study showed that the mean values of Cd, Ni and Pb were significantly higher in scalp hair and blood samples of hypertensive patients in relation to healthy controls, while the difference was significant in the case of smoker patients (p<0.001). The levels of all the three TEs were 2-3 folds higher in scalp hair and blood samples of non-hypertensive smoker subjects as compared to nonsmoker controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high exposure of toxic metals as a result of cigarette smoking may be synergistic with risk factors associated with hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland; National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan. Electronic address: hassanimranafridi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hassan Imran
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Afridi
authors.forename: Tasneem Gul
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Farah Naz
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Talpur
authors.forename: Dermot
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brabazon
authors.forename: Sumsun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naher
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D007494:Ireland; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D009532:Nickel
keywords: Blood; Cigarette smokers; Different brands of cigarette; Inductive coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer; Scalp hair; Toxic elements