Cigarette lead content

Pesch H-J, Bloss S, Schubert J, et al. 1992. The mercury cadmium and lead content of cigarette tobacco Comparative analytical-statistical studies in 1987 and 1991 employing Zeeman-AAS. Fresenius J Anal Chem 343(1) 152-153. 

Wemsman, E. A. and D.F. Matzinger Time and site of nicotine conversion in tobacco Tob. Sci. 12 (1968) 226-228. Westcott, D.T. Oxides of nitrogen in cigarette smoke 18th Tobacco Chemists Research Conference, Program Booklet and Abstracts, Vol. 18, Paper No. 23,1964, p. 35. Westcott, D.T. and D. Spincer The cadmium, nickel, and lead content of tobacco and cigarette smoke Beitr. Tabakforsch. 7 (1974) 217-221. 

Cigarette characteristics that influence nicotine delivery to the smoker (including nicotine and ammonium content in tobacco filler) as well as human smoking behavior, deserve special consideration, because nicotine causes and maintains addiction that leads to chronic exposure to a chemical toxicant with known harmful health effects, including cancer (UDHHS 2004 lARC 2004 2007). 

The A-nitrosamine formation in tobacco smoke is determined by the nitrate content of the tobacco... More importantly... selective removal (70 to 80 percent) of volatile nitrosamines from the smoke can be achieved by cellulose filters [sic] ... At present, it has not been demonstrated that a significant reduction of volatile A-nitrosamines will lead to a significant reduction of the tumorigenic potential of cigarette smoke. 

Lead is present in tobacco. The mean content of lead in filter-tipped cigarettes produced between 1960 and 1980 was 2.4 p.g/g. Approximately 5% of this lead may be inhaled the remainder occurs in the ash and side/stream smoke (WHO, 1995). 

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