The Efficiency of the Amount of Heavy Metals in Some Aromatic Tobacco Consumed in Shiraz Market in 2016

Tobacco is a rich source of heavy metals that during its growth the amount of these elements increases. The use of tobacco leaves is one of the major routes of exposure to heavy metals. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of lead, chromium, and cadmium in the samples of aromatic tobacco in the Shiraz market.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. First, four most consumed aromatic tobacco flavors were collected from Shiraz; then, four samples of each and generally 48 sampleswere prepared. After preparation of the samples, the amounts of heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption flame-model Rayleigh wfx- 210. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA.
The average concentration of lead in all the tobacco flavors was 53/59 μg/g. The statistical test did not show a significant difference between the means of lead and cadmium in the four tobacco flavors (p˃0/05); but in the case of Cr showed significant differences in different flavors (p˂0/05); and grape flavor with an average of 46/91 μg /g was the most capable.
According to the results, aromatic tobacco is highly contaminated with heavy metals in the Iran market. Considering the importance of this issue and the negative effects of tobacco on healthand education, necessary preventive measures in this regard seems to be necessary.