An Assessment of Radioactivity Levels of 210Pb and 40K in Tobacco and Radiation Exposure from Smoking

No research has been conducted on the radiation influence of tobacco on the alimentary system, although there have been some previous works on the respiratory system. In this study, the radioactive concentrations of Pb-210 and K-40 in a cigarette sample were first measured. The transfer factors of the nuclides from tobacco into smoke and solution (saliva and/or alcohol) were then examined. Moreover, the radiation doses from smoke inhalation were also evaluated. The radioactive concentrations of Pb-210 and K-40 in the cigarette tobacco were 0.01 and 0.3 Bq/cigarette. Since this Pb-210 activity and the Po-210 activity previously reported for the same sample were comparable, it can be concluded that there was a radioactive equilibrium between the 2 nuclides. The observed transfer factor of Pb-210 (12%) into smoke was almost the same as that of K-40 (15%), whereas the reported value for Po-210 (60%) was significantly higher. The radiation doses due to inhalation of cigarette smoke varied from organ to organ, depending on the organotropic properties of the nuclide. For example, the kidneys, respiratory tract, and spleen showed relatively high doses from Pb-210 and Po-210. The leaching rates indicated an inconsistent tendency related to solution types. This result could suggest that alcohol drinking, which is common in smokers, does not especially enhance the leaching characteristics.