title: Comparative risk assessment of tobacco smoke constituents using the margin of exposure approach: the neglected contribution of nicotine.
abstract: Nicotine was not included in previous efforts to identify the most important toxicants of tobacco smoke. A health risk assessment of nicotine for smokers of cigarettes was conducted using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach and results were compared to literature MOEs of various other tobacco toxicants. The MOE is defined as ratio between toxicological threshold (benchmark dose) and estimated human intake. Dose-response modelling of human and animal data was used to derive the benchmark dose. The MOE was calculated using probabilistic Monte Carlo simulations for daily cigarette smokers. Benchmark dose values ranged from 0.004 mg/kg bodyweight for symptoms of intoxication in children to 3 mg/kg bodyweight for mortality in animals; MOEs ranged from below 1 up to 7.6 indicating a considerable consumer risk. The dimension of the MOEs is similar to those of other tobacco toxicants with high concerns relating to adverse health effects such as acrolein or formaldehyde. Owing to the lack of toxicological data in particular relating to cancer, long term animal testing studies for nicotine are urgently necessary. There is immediate need of action concerning the risk of nicotine also with regard to electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Study for "Toxicology and Environmental Protection", Institute for Legal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baumung
authors.affiliation: Epidemiological Research Unit, Technische Universität Dresden, Klinische Psychologie and Psychotherapie, Dresden, Germany.|Social and Epidemiological Research (SER) Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada.|Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto (UofT), Toronto, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, UofT, Toronto, Canada.|Dept. of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UofT, Toronto, Canada.|PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rehm
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Study for "Toxicology and Environmental Protection", Institute for Legal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Rudolf Boehm Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.affiliation: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany.|Epidemiological Research Unit, Technische Universität Dresden, Klinische Psychologie and Psychotherapie, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lachenmeier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D000073865:Cigarette Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine