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| Articles
by
Osazuwa E. Jato |
Total Records (
1 ) for
Osazuwa E. Jato |
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Akpoveta O. Vincent
,
Osakwe A. Steven
,
Egharevba Felix
,
Osaro K. Ize-Iyamu
,
Akpoveta A. Veronica
,
Osazuwa E. Jato
,
Okoh E. Benedict
,
Okwagi Patrick
,
Aweatefe J. Kehinde
,
Odjighere Mathew
and
Weltime O. Medjor
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The concentration levels of some heavy metals were investigated in ten different
brands of commonly smoked cigarettes in Nigeria and compared with the results
of similar heavy metals determined in tobacco snuff consumed in Nigeria with
the aim of evaluating and comparing the level of heavy metal contamination in
them as well as assessing their toxicity levels. Samples were representatively
collected from the thirty six states of Nigeria and determined for heavy metal
contents using conventional analytical methods. The mean concentration range
of Pb in snuff and cigarette brands was 0.12-3.10 mg kg-1. Pb values
found in cigarette samples fell within the recommended standards except for
snuff (3.10 mg kg-1) which exceeded the limit. The mean concentration
range of Cd in snuff and cigarettes was 0.02-3.55 mg kg-1 with samples
such as benson and hedges, yes, lemon and butter, green sport, sweet menthol
and snuff exceeding safe limit indicating significant pollution in Cd for these
samples. Cu has a mean concentration range of 6.02-15.85 mg kg-1 in
all the samples with most samples exceeding the recommended standards except
for st moritz, marlboro and benson and hedges which fell within the limit. The
concentrations of Ni (0.11-0.17 mg kg-1), Cr (0.14-0.16 mg kg-1)
and Zn (7.30-24.02 mg kg-1) all fell within the recommended standard.
Significant variations were observed in the concentrations of all the metals
studied except for chromium which gave similar results (0.14 mg kg-1)
for all the samples. A quantification of the contamination/pollution index for
heavy metals in the snuff and different brand of cigarette samples studied in
Nigeria shows that the samples are highly contaminated and polluted in some
of the metals studied and therefore constitutes major health risk to the local
population since the physical health of consumers is being threatened. Most
of the results in this study were in the same range and in some cases found
to be lower except for Cd concentration in snuff which was higher when compared
to the result of similar studies in cigarettes commonly smoked in Germany, Greece,
India Australia, China, Canada, Russia and USA. The significant concentration
levels of heavy metals in the different cigarette brands and tobacco snuff studied
were attributed to primary factors which influence the level of heavy metals
already in the growing tobacco plant. The presence of such toxic metal contaminants
in an already deadly consumer product demonstrates the need for strong regulation
of tobacco products. |
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