Trace and heavy metal and pesticide contents of different tobacco brands sold in Finland during 1920 to 1984 were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with the purpose of investigating the variation in contents over time. In addition, the following were studied: the effect of commercial filters in cigarettes in preventing the inhalation of metals, the transfer of metals and pesticides to the mainstream smoke; and the correlation between the cadmium content of adipose tissue of smokers and their smoking habits. No differences were found in trace and heavy metal contents of different brands and packs from different decades. The pesticide residues in tobacco have followed the pattern of their use in the tobacco plantation. The dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) content of tobacco has decreased during the past 20 yr to about 1/200 of the peak value, i.e., from 34.5 to 0.17 micrograms/g. Cigarette filters significantly prevent the inhalation of cadmium, lead, magnesium, and iron. The mean content of cadmium in fat tissue of male smokers was four times that of non-smokers. The difference was statistically significant.
ABSTRACT. The copper and zinc status of 3–18‐year‐old Finnish children was estimated by analysing 3,480 serum copper and zinc concentrations, 853 hair copper and 868 hair zinc concentrations. Both copper and zinc have been proposed to be connected with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, zinc is essential for normal growth and development. The mean serum copper concentration of 3‐year‐old children was 21.2 μmol/l and the concentration was significantly lower in older age groups. The average serum zinc concentration showed a narrow variation between 14.1 and 15.0 μmol/l in all age groups, nevertheless girls had significantly lower and boys higher values with increasing age. The distribution of hair copper concentration was skewed within the age groups; the median vaned between 9.7 μg/g and 29.8 μg/g for 3‐year‐old urban girls and 18‐year‐old rural girls, respectively. Some rural girls had exceptionally high hair copper levels. Hair zinc concentrations increased with age. In the three youngest age groups (3, 6 and 9 years) the distribution was skewed and the levels low compared with results from the USA where a zinc concentration below 30 μg/g is found to be associated with the zinc deficiency syndrome.
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