Smokers cadmium

Tobacco smoke contains a variety of air pollutants. In a survey of 80 homes ia an area where the outdoor TSP varied between 10—30 lg/m, the iadoor TSP was the same, or less, ia homes having ao smokers. la homes having oae smoker, the TSP levels were betweea 30—60 lg/m, while ia homes having two or more smokers, the levels were betweea 60—120 lg/m (64). la other studies, iadoor TSP levels exceeding 1000 lg/m have beea fouad ia homes with aumerous smokers. la additioa to TSP, burning tobacco emits CO, NO formaldehyde [50-00-0] bea2opyreaes, nicotine [54-11-5] pheaols, and some metals such as cadmium [7440-43-9] and arsenic [7440-38-2] (65). 

Cadmium is nutritionally non-essential, toxic and a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. It is found in leafy vegetables, grains and cereals, and since it is present in substantial amounts in tobacco leaves, cigarette smokers on a packet a day can easily double their cadmium intake. It has a long biological half-life (17-30 years in man), accumulates in liver and kidneys and its toxicity involves principally kidney and bone (Goyer, 1997).While Cd interferes primarily with calcium, it also interacts with zinc and can induce the synthesis of metallothionein. Cadmium bound to metallothionein in liver or kidney is thought to be non-toxic, but cadmium in plasma... 

Food is the main source of cadmium input to human organisms, however the smokers take in a much larger amount of this element with tobacco smoke. The average period of cadmium storage in the human body is 18 years. 

Cadmium is a widely distributed metal used in manufacturing and is present in a number of consumer products. Dietary exposure to cadmium is possible from shellfish and plants grown on cadmium-contaminated soils. Absorption is increased when associated with low levels of iron or calcium in the diet. Some plants, such as tobacco, can concentrate cadmium from even low levels in the soil. The lung readily absorbs cadmium, thus cigarette smokers have elevated cadmium exposure. Cadmium is also used as a metal alloy, in paint, and in batteries (Ni-Cad, nickel-cadmium). Workplace exposure can occur in welding and battery manufacture. 

Cadmium is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract whereas absorption from the respiratory tract appears to be more complete cigarette smokers may absorb 10 to 40% of inhaled cadmium. 5... 

Cadmium is a highly cumulative poison with a biologic half-life estimated at about 20 to 30 years in humans. About half of the body burden of cadmium is found in the liver and kidneys. The total body burden reaches a plateau in humans around age 50. Cigarette smoke is a source of cadmium, and the body burden of cadmium is about 1.5 to 2 times greater in smokers than in nonsmokers of the same age. 

Blood-cadmium concenhations in non-smokers are less than 0.0025 jiLg/ml whereas smokers may exhibit concentrations of up to 0.0065 iiig/ml 50 to 70% of the cadmium is present in erythrocytes. Symptoms of cadmium toxicity appear at blood concenhations of 0.015 ag/ml or more. Concentrations in the urine, although variable, may be of a similar order to those found in blood. 

Like zinc, cadmium is used to electroplate steel to protect it from corrosion. However, because cadmium is rare, it is more expensive and so it is used less often than zinc. This metal can also cause health problems in humans, including high blood pressure and kidney failure. Small amounts of cadmium are present in tobacco leaves, exposing cigarette smokers to dangerous levels of this metal. Another disadvantage is that waste from electroplating industries that use cadmium has polluted lakes and other water sources. 

The mean cadmium content of unwashed hair was 1.423 0.508 and 1.559 1.135 pgg-1 for non-smokers and smokers, respectively270-272. About 60 papers273 - 324 which stress that the scalp hair is a valuable tissue recording the level and changes of many trace elements in the body have been reviewed269. 

The majorsourceofeadmium exposure in the general population is in tobacco smoke, with smokers having blood cadmium levels twice that of non-smokers. 

The current PTWI is 7 pg kg body weight (WHO 2001). Particular risk groups can be characterized, namely of children smokers women with low iron stores consumers of food items with high cadmium content and extreme consumers of staple food items. At present, by using available data, it is not possible to characterize risk groups in detail, either at EU level or at Member State level. However, most Member States appear to have an average intake of cadmium which is lower than the WHO s PTWI (de Meeus et al. 2002). In Germany, one study indicated enhanced levels in an industrialized area (Wilhelm et al. 

SOME TYPICAL LEVELS OF CADMIUM IN BLOOD OF HEALTHY. NON EXPOSED NON-SMOKERS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES... 

Zareba, A., Strugala-Stawik, H., Rudkowski, Z., Dembicka, D., Pastuszek, B., 1996. Blood levels of lead and cadmium in pregnant women, active and passive smokers and their neonates. In Abstracts of International Conference Environmental Pollution and Child Health Critical Needs and Issues for Central and Eastern Europe, Sosnowiec, Poland. 

The determination of cadmium in urine, although more complicated because of the higher volatility of this element and its lower concentration, was demonstrated to give accurate results even at normal levels [26]. The STPF concept and Zeeman effect background correction were shown to be mandatory for that type of analysis and palladium was superior to other chemical modifiers. Significantly different levels of cadium were found in the urine of smokers and nonsmokers. 

Cadmium is present in whole blood bound to albumin, in erythrocytes, and as a metallothionein-cadmium complex. The metallothionein-cadmium complex that represents the primary transport mechanism for cadmium delivery to the kidney. CDB concentrations in the general, nonexposed population average 1 pg Cd/I whole blood, with smokers exhibiting higher levels (see Section 5.1.6). Data presented in Section 5.1.6 shows that 95% of the general population not occupationally exposed to cadmium have CDB levels less than 5 pg Cd/I. 

In several other studies presented in Table 4, measurements are reported separately for males and females, and for smokers and nonsmokers. The data in this table indicate that similar CDB levels are observed among males and females in the general population, but that smokers tend to exhibit higher CDB levels than nonsmokers. Based on the Kowal et al. (1979) study, smokers not occupationally exposed to cadmium exhibit an average CDB level of 1.4 pg/l. 

In general, nonsmokers tend to exhibit levels ranging to 2 pg/l, while levels observed among smokers range to 5 pg/l. Based on the data presented in Table 4, 95% of those not occupationally exposed to cadmium exhibit CDB levels less than 5 p l. 

The mean values of the total body burden of cadmium for a 45-year old reference man in the USA (8.7 mg) and in Sweden (6.4 mg) as estimated by Kjellstrom (1979) from autopsy material are roughly 15 to 25 times lower than the minimal critical level of total Cd body burden of 160 to 180 mg as estimated in bur study. But Ellis et al. (1979) in the USA, however, have estimated by in vivo measurements that the average total body burden of Cd in an American man at the age of 50 is 19.3 mg for nonsmokers and 35.5 mg for smokers. The average safety factor for an adult is then reduced to approximately 10 for nonsmokers and to 5 for smokers. 

---