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Journal of Applied Sciences

Year: 2004 | Volume: 4 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 623-629
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Authors

K. Ebisike

O.O. Ayejuyo

J.A. Sonibare

O.A. Ogunkunle

T.V. Ojumu

Keywords

The quality of air available indoor calls for more attention now than ever because of several findings confirming that up to 85% of time can be spend indoors by man. Environmental tobacco smoke emanating from cigarette consumption is one of the most common indoor air pollutants. In this study, the trace elements content of six common brands of cigarette produced, marketed and consumed in Nigeria were examined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Unsmoked butt, smoked butt, tobacco, ash, urine and saliva of some smokers and non-smokers were analyzed for five selected trace elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd and Ni). These trace elements were detected in all the cigarette samples-both smoked and unsmoked butt, tobacco, ash, smokers’ urine and saliva analyzed. Though Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd were detected in the non-smokers’ urine samples, their concentrations were about 66-99.3% less than that of smokers’ samples concentration. Only Cu was detected in non-smokers’ saliva but this was about 75% less than the smokers’ level. Toxicity potential of these trace elements, if their detected concentration in the Six brands of cigarette considered, could find their ways into the indoor air is an indication that cigarette consumption in Nigeria could impact negatively on the indoor air quality where cigarette smoking often takes place. Adhering to the ’non-smoking’ warning of the Federal Ministry of Health in the country is a possible way of combating this.
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