Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Activity Levels of Polonium-210 in Tobacco and Cigarette in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

B Ghanbar Moghaddam
M Vahabi Moghaddam
A.A Fathi Vand
Abstract
Polonium-210 (210Po) is a natural contaminant of tobacco and its products. Due to its volatility and inherent adsorption properties, 210Po is one of the major potential sources of human exposure through smoking. This paper reports measurements on 210Po and 210Pb levels in domestic as well as imported tobacco to Iran through α-spectrometry technique. The fate of 210Po radionuclide has been also followed from tobacco farm through curing procedure in factory. The activity levels of 210Po in Iranian domestic and imported cigarettes is found to be on the average as 38.4±0.8 mBq/g with a range of 30.3-51.3mBq/g and 20.0±0.6mBq/g with a range of 18.6-21.7mBq/g, respectively. These levels are considerably higher than those reported in many other parts of the world. In the case of tobacco produced in Iranian northern province of Guilan, drying in closed compartments by fossil fuel and elevated inventories of 210Po in soil due to over application of phosphate-rich fertilizers seems to be the main causes of these elevated activity levels.

Highlights

  1. A. Savidou, K. Kehagia, K. Eleftheriadis, “Concentration levels of 210Pb and 210Po in dry tobacco leaves in Greece,” Journal of Environmetal Radioactivity, 85, 94-102 (2006).

     

  2. Y.D. Parfenov, “Polonium-210 in the environment and in the human organism,” Atomic Energy Review, 12, 75–143 (1974).

 

  1. B. Skwarzec, D.I. Struminska, J. Ulatowski, M. Golebiowski, “Determination and distribution of  210Po in tobacco plants from Poland,” Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 250, No. 2, 319-322 (2001).

 

  1. E.A. Martell, “Radioactivity of tobacco trichomes and insoluble cigarette smoke particles,” Nature, 249, 215-217 (1974).

 

  1. R.L. Fleischer, “Aerosol particles on tobacco trichomes,” Nature, 250, 158-159 (1974).

 

  1. Farsnews, www. farsnews.com (2007).

 

  1. ”کارنامه­ی آماری کشت توتون و خرید محصولات کشاورزی دخانی،“ شرکت دخانیات ایران، اداره­ی کل امور کشاورزی (1380).

 

  1. M. Aliabadi, et.al, “Determination of polonium-210 in iranian cigarettes, 2nd Int,” Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, Shiraz University, Iran (2004).

 

  1. A.C. Peres and G. Hiromoto, “Evaluation of 210Pb and 210Po in cigarette tobacco produced in Brazil,” J. Environmental Radioactivity 62, 115-119 (2002).

 

  1. UNSCEAR 2000, Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Report to the General Assembly, United Nations, New York (2000).

 

  1. ”سالنامه آماری گیلان،“ سازمان مدیریت و برنامه­ریزی استان گیلان (1380).                                                                           

     

     

  2. T.C. Tso, N.A. Mallden, L.T. Aexander, “Radium-226 and polonium-210 in leaf tobacco and tobacco soil,” Science, 146, 1043-1045 (1964).

 

  1. D.R. Singh and S.R. Nikelani, “Measurement of polonium activity in Indian tobacco,” Health Physics, 31, 393–394 (1976).

 

  1. ل. غلامزاده کلیشمی، ”سنجش موجودی oP210 در کودهای شیمیایی مورد استفاده در گیلان،“ پایان­نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه گیلان (1386).                                                              

 

  1. C. Papastefanou, “Radiation dose from cigarette tobacco,” Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 123, No. 1, 68–73 (2007).

 

  1. A.E.M. Khater, “Polonium-210 budgets in cigarette,” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 71, 33-41 (2004).

 

  1. Mussalo-Rauhamaa and H. Jaakkola, “T. Plutonium-239, Pu and Po contents of tobacco and cigarette smoke,” Health Physics, 49(2), 269-301 (1985).

 

  1. D.R. Singh, S.R. Nilekani, “Measurement of Polonium activity in Indian tobacco,” Health Physics, 31, 393-394 (1976).

 

  1. S.N.A. Tahir and A.S. Alaamer, “Pb-210 concentrations in cigarettes tobaccos and radiation dose to the smokers,” Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 130(3), 389-391 (2008).

 

  1. Batarekh, K. Teherani and D.K. “Determination of  Polonium-210 in cigarettes from Syria,” J. Radioanal, Nucl. Chem. 117( 2), 75-80 (1987).

 

  1. T. Karali, S. Olmez, G. Yener, “Study of spontaneous deposition of 210Po on various metals and application for activity assessment in cigarette smoke,” Appl. Radiat. Isot. 47(4), 409-411 (1996).

 

  1. C.R. Hill, “Polonium-210 in man,” Nature, 208(5009), 423-428 (1965).

 

Keywords

Polonium-210
Cigarette
tobacco
α-Spectrometry
Guilan

  1. A. Savidou, K. Kehagia, K. Eleftheriadis, “Concentration levels of 210Pb and 210Po in dry tobacco leaves in Greece,” Journal of Environmetal Radioactivity, 85, 94-102 (2006).

     

  2. Y.D. Parfenov, “Polonium-210 in the environment and in the human organism,” Atomic Energy Review, 12, 75–143 (1974).

 

  1. B. Skwarzec, D.I. Struminska, J. Ulatowski, M. Golebiowski, “Determination and distribution of  210Po in tobacco plants from Poland,” Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 250, No. 2, 319-322 (2001).

 

  1. E.A. Martell, “Radioactivity of tobacco trichomes and insoluble cigarette smoke particles,” Nature, 249, 215-217 (1974).

 

  1. R.L. Fleischer, “Aerosol particles on tobacco trichomes,” Nature, 250, 158-159 (1974).

 

  1. Farsnews, www. farsnews.com (2007).

 

  1. ”کارنامه­ی آماری کشت توتون و خرید محصولات کشاورزی دخانی،“ شرکت دخانیات ایران، اداره­ی کل امور کشاورزی (1380).

 

  1. M. Aliabadi, et.al, “Determination of polonium-210 in iranian cigarettes, 2nd Int,” Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, Shiraz University, Iran (2004).

 

  1. A.C. Peres and G. Hiromoto, “Evaluation of 210Pb and 210Po in cigarette tobacco produced in Brazil,” J. Environmental Radioactivity 62, 115-119 (2002).

 

  1. UNSCEAR 2000, Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Report to the General Assembly, United Nations, New York (2000).

 

  1. ”سالنامه آماری گیلان،“ سازمان مدیریت و برنامه­ریزی استان گیلان (1380).                                                                           

     

     

  2. T.C. Tso, N.A. Mallden, L.T. Aexander, “Radium-226 and polonium-210 in leaf tobacco and tobacco soil,” Science, 146, 1043-1045 (1964).

 

  1. D.R. Singh and S.R. Nikelani, “Measurement of polonium activity in Indian tobacco,” Health Physics, 31, 393–394 (1976).

 

  1. ل. غلامزاده کلیشمی، ”سنجش موجودی oP210 در کودهای شیمیایی مورد استفاده در گیلان،“ پایان­نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه گیلان (1386).                                                              

 

  1. C. Papastefanou, “Radiation dose from cigarette tobacco,” Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 123, No. 1, 68–73 (2007).

 

  1. A.E.M. Khater, “Polonium-210 budgets in cigarette,” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 71, 33-41 (2004).

 

  1. Mussalo-Rauhamaa and H. Jaakkola, “T. Plutonium-239, Pu and Po contents of tobacco and cigarette smoke,” Health Physics, 49(2), 269-301 (1985).

 

  1. D.R. Singh, S.R. Nilekani, “Measurement of Polonium activity in Indian tobacco,” Health Physics, 31, 393-394 (1976).

 

  1. S.N.A. Tahir and A.S. Alaamer, “Pb-210 concentrations in cigarettes tobaccos and radiation dose to the smokers,” Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 130(3), 389-391 (2008).

 

  1. Batarekh, K. Teherani and D.K. “Determination of  Polonium-210 in cigarettes from Syria,” J. Radioanal, Nucl. Chem. 117( 2), 75-80 (1987).

 

  1. T. Karali, S. Olmez, G. Yener, “Study of spontaneous deposition of 210Po on various metals and application for activity assessment in cigarette smoke,” Appl. Radiat. Isot. 47(4), 409-411 (1996).

 

  1. C.R. Hill, “Polonium-210 in man,” Nature, 208(5009), 423-428 (1965).

 

Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 32, Issue 2 - Serial Number 56
September 2011
Pages 22-26

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