Tobacco Samples Research Articles

Sigara tütününün doğal ve yapay radyoaktivitesinin belirlenmesi

Natural and artificial radioactivity concentrations of the Tobacco samples were determined using 20% n-type HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer. 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 210Pb and 137Cs radioactivity concentrations were measured. 137Cs radioactivity concentrations were found to be MDA ( minimum detectable activity). 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 210Pb average radioactivity concentrations were found to be 11,9 ± 1,4, 11,7 ± 1,4, 1197,48 ± 143,7 ve 24,9 ± 3,0 Bq/kg respectively.

Application of field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry in moldy tobacco recognition

Field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) was used to distinguish moldy tobacco and normal tobacco. Tobacco ion peak characteristics from FAMIS analysis and a recognition rule were established. The key parameters for the moldy tobacco recognition in FAIMS included compensation voltage (CV), dispersion electric field (DF) and ion current value (ICV). When the DF and CV value were set as the followings:DF=50%, CV=-0.788 V, or DF=55%, CV=-0.882 V, the characteristic ion peaks of moldy tobacco tested under positive mode were observed. ICV values increased with the degree of moldy severity; therefore, the ICV values were used to distinguish moldy tobacco under DF and CV conditions described above. When the ICV values were ICV≥0.13 and 0.20>ICV≥0.11, respectively, samples were determined as mild moldy; when the ICV values were≥0.24 and≥0.20, respectively, samples were determined as severe moldy; when the ICV values were > 0.13 and 0.11, respectively, the moldy condition could not be determined. These rules were applied to distinguish moldy tobacco among 65 types of tobacco samples. Among which, 29 types of normal tobacco, 22 types of mild moldy tobacco and 6 types of severe moldy tobacco were correctly identified, and 4 types of tobacco were not determined. The recognition accuracy rate was 93.4%.

An effective method for pesticide residues determination in tobacco by GC-MS/MS and UHPLC-MS/MS employing acetonitrile extraction with low-temperature precipitation and d-SPE clean-up

An effective method has been developed and validated for the determination of residues of 55 pesticides in tobacco. The proposed sample preparation method is based on acetonitrile extraction, low-temperature precipitation (LTP) and dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up. Gas chromatography and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography analysis, both coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and UHPLC-MS/MS), were used for determination. LTP is easy to perform and was crucial to obtain a clean extract. Method quantification limit for the pesticides were between 25 and 75µgkg−1. Extraction recoveries obtained for blank samples spiked at 25, 75, 125 and 250µgkg−1 levels ranged from 63 to 161% with relative standard deviations (RSD)≤20%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of thirteen different tobacco samples, providing to be a robust procedure for routine analysis. The compounds pirimiphos methyl and isofenphos presented residues in the range of 35–51µgkg−1.

Development and validation of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the determination of α- and ß-2, 7, 11-cembratriene-4, 6-diols in tobacco

PurposeThis paper aims to present a robust method for the determination of α- and ß-2, 7, 11-cembratriene-4, 6-diols (α, ß-CBT-diol) in tobacco samples which was developed and validated by using the self-made α, ß-CBT-diol with higher purity as the standard.Design/methodology/approachAfter the ultrasonic extraction and clean-up procedures, samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode and full scan mode at the same time. A 1-heptadecanol was used as an internal standard. The important parameters, such as extraction conditions and derivation conditions, were optimized.FindingsUnder the optimal conditions, good results in terms of linearity (R2> 0.999) and recoveries (93.2-107 per cent) were achieved. The limits of detection were 0.120 and 0.180 μg/ml for α- and ß-CBT-diol, respectively. α, ß-CBT-diol level of analyzed tobacco was found in the range of 34.2-1.26 × 103 μg/g with relative standard deviations below 6 per cent.Originality/valueSuch a strategy opens a new door towards the development of a simple, robust and sensitive method for the determination of α, ß-CBT-diol in real samples.

Elemental and molecular profiling of licit, illicit, and niche tobacco

The recognition of differences between regulated large-scale mass manufactured products and the uncontrolled cultivation of tobaccos for illicit purposes plays a significant role within identification of provenance. This research highlights X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as useful analytical techniques for the rapid identification of tobacco samples of unknown provenance. Identification of key discriminative features within each technique allowed for the development of typical characteristic profiles for each type of tobacco. Analysis using X-ray fluorescence highlights chlorine, potassium, calcium and iron as key elemental indicators of tobacco provenance. Significant levels of chlorine seen within Snüs samples prompted attempts to visualise chlorine containing regions and structures within the sample. Scanning electron microscopy images showed crystalline structures visible within the Snüs tobacco, structures which Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy qualitatively confirmed to contain chlorine. Chloride levels within Snüs samples were quantified using ion chromatography with levels found to range between 0.87mgmL⿿1 and 1.28mg. Additionally, FTIR indicated that absorbances attributed to carbonyl stretching at 1050⿿1150cm⿿1, alkane bending at 1350⿿1480cm⿿1 and amide I stretching at 1600⿿1700cm⿿1 highlighting a spectral fingerprint region that allowed for the clear differentiation between different types of tobaccos using PCA analysis, but was limited by differentiation between provenance of cigarettes and hand rolled tobacco. X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy yielded different information with regards tobacco discrimination and provenance, however both methods overall analysis time and cost reduced indicating usefulness as potential handheld analytical techniques in the field.

Residue and dissipation of zinc thiazole in tobacco field ecosystem

ABSTRACTA high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) detection method after derivatisation was developed for the first time for the novel fungicide zinc thiazole residue in tobacco samples. Field trials in two different locations were conducted to investigate the dissipation and residue of zinc thiazole in tobacco leaves and soil. The average recoveries of zinc thiazole were in the range of 82.5%–93.9% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.2%–9.1%. The zinc thiazole showed a rapid dissipation rate in fresh tobacco leaves with the half-lives of 1.1–1.6 days. The terminal residues of zinc thiazole in cured tobacco leaves and soil were 2.8–28.0 mg kg−1and <0.05 mg kg−1, respectively. The results could be used to establish the maximum residue limits (MRLs) and provide guidance for the scientific use of zinc thiazole in agriculture.

Simultaneous extraction and determination of free and conjugated phytosterols in tobacco.

Acid hydrolysis and alkaline saponification were incorporated into a microwave-assisted extraction process for the simultaneous extraction of free and conjugated phytosterols from tobacco. The crude extract of the microwave-assisted extraction was purified by C18 solid-phase extraction and then determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Phytosterols of cholesterol, ergosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and β-sitosterol were determined by chromatographic quantification. The multiple parameters of microwave-assisted extraction were optimized by a uniform design method. The optimal ratio of extraction ethanol solvent to tobacco mass was 30 mL/g. The microwave-assisted extraction acid hydrolysis was carried out in sulfuric acid medium by heating for 10 min at 55°C. The microwave-assisted extraction alkaline saponification was performed after adding excessive sodium hydroxide by heating another 10 min. The repeatability of the proposed method was acceptable with recoveries from 69.68 to 88.17% for the phytosterols. Five target phytosterols were all found in the tobacco samples, and the contents were significantly different in samples from different producing areas.

Ultrasonic supramolecular microextration of nickel (II) as N,N′-Dihydroxy-1,2-cyclohexanediimine chelates from water, tobacco and fertilizer samples before FAAS determination

A fast and efficient preconcentration method was developed based on supramolecular microextraction for separation and preconcentration of nickel(II). The composition of supramolecular solvent includes 1-decanol and tetrahydrofuran. N,N′-Dihydroxy-1,2-cyclohexanediimine was applied as chelating agent for Ni(II) as well as to facilitate the transference of the complex from aqueous sample solution to the supramolecular organic layer. The developed preconcentration method was followed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy measurement for nickel detection. The optimum conditions for the quantitative results were at the pH between 5.5 and 6.5, and volume of 0.1% N,N′-Dihydroxy-1,2-cyclohexanediimine between 100μL and 200μL. The developed procedure was applicable in case of applying different matrix. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 1.3μgL−1 and 3.9μgL−1 respectively. TMDA 64.2 and TMDA 53.3 certified reference materials were used to validate the proposed procedure and the results showed good agreement. The developed method was applied for determination of Ni(II) in water, tobacco and fertilizer samples.

Analysis of pesticide residues in tobacco with online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

An ultrasensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of pesticides residues in tobacco was developed with online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Tobacco samples were extracted with the solvent mixture of cyclohexane and acetone (7:3, v/v) and centrifuged. Then, the supernatant liquors were injected directly into the online size exclusion chromatography with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry without any other purification procedures after being filtered with a 0.22 μm organic phase filter. The matrix interferences were effectively removed and recoveries of most pesticides were in the range of 72-121%. Especially, for chlorothalonil, the analysis efficiency of this method was much more favorable than that of the general method, in which dispersive solid-phase extraction was used as an additional purified procedure. In addition, the limits of quantitation of this method were from 1 to 50 μg/kg. Therefore, a rapid, cost-effective, labor-saving method was proposed in the present work, which was suitable for the analysis of 41 pesticide residues in tobacco.

Pathways to smoking behaviours: biological insights from the Tobacco and Genetics Consortium meta-analysis.

By running gene and pathway analyses for several smoking behaviours in the Tobacco and Genetics Consortium (TAG) sample of 74 053 individuals, 21 genes and several chains of biological pathways were implicated. Analyses were carried out using the HYbrid Set-based Test (HYST) as implemented in the Knowledge-based mining system for Genome-wide Genetic studies software. Fifteen genes are novel and were not detected with the single nucleotide polymorphism-based approach in the original TAG analysis. For quantity smoked, 14 genes passed the false discovery rate of 0.05 (corrected for multiple testing), with the top association signal located at the IREB2 gene (P=1.57E-37). Three genomic loci were significantly associated with ever smoked. The top signal is located at the noncoding antisense RNA transcript BDNF-AS (P=6.25E-07) on 11p14. The SLC25A21 gene (P=2.09E-08) yielded the top association signal in the analysis of smoking cessation. The 19q13 noncoding RNA locus exceeded the genome-wide significance in the analysis of age at initiation (P=1.33E-06). Pathways belonging to the Neuronal system pathways, harbouring the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes expressing the α (CHRNA 1-9), β (CHRNB 1-4), γ, δ and ɛ subunits, yielded the smallest P-values in the pathway analysis of the quantity smoked (lowest P=4.90E-42). Additionally, pathways belonging to 'a subway map of cancer pathways' regulating the cell cycle, mitotic DNA replication, axon growth and synaptic plasticity were found significantly enriched for genetic variants in ever smokers relative to never smokers (lowest P=1.61E-07). In addition, these pathways were also significantly associated with the quantity smoked (lowest P=4.28E-17). Our results shed light on one of the world's leading causes of preventable death and open a path to potential therapeutic targets. These results are informative in decoding the biological bases of other disease traits, such as depression and cancers, with which smoking shares genetic vulnerabilities.

Tobacco, Microbes, and Carcinogens: Correlation Between Tobacco Cure Conditions, Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine Content, and Cured Leaf Microbial Community.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines are carcinogenic N-nitrosamine compounds present at very low levels in freshly harvested tobacco leaves that accumulate during leaf curing. Formation of N-nitrosamine compounds is associated with high nitrate levels in the leaf at harvest, and nitrate is presumed to be the source from which the N-nitrosation species originates. More specifically, nitrite is considered to be a direct precursor, and nitrite is linked with N-nitrosation in many environmental matrices where it occurs via microbial nitrate reduction. Here, we initiate work exploring the role of leaf microbial communities in formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Leaves from burley tobacco line TN90H were air cured under various temperature and relative humidity levels, and 22 cured tobacco samples were analyzed for their microbial communities and leaf chemistry. Analysis of nitrate, nitrite, and total tobacco-specific nitrosamine levels revealed a strong positive correlation between the three variables, as well as a strong positive correlation with increasing relative humidity during cure conditions. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to assess microbial communities in each of the samples. In most samples, Proteobacteria predominated at the phylum level, accounting for >90% of the OTUs. However, a distinct shift was noted among members of the high tobacco-specific nitrosamine group, with increases in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Several OTUs were identified that correlate strongly (positive and negative) with tobacco-specific nitrosamine content. Copy number of bacterial nitrate reductase genes, obtained using quantitative PCR, did not correlate strongly with tobacco-specific nitrosamine content. Incomplete denitrification is potentially implicated in tobacco-specific nitrosamine levels.

Effects of tobacco blends on puff-by-puff benzo[a]pyrene yields in mainstream cigarette smoke by GC-MS method

In order to investigate the relationship between B[a]P puff-by-puff yields in mainstream cigarette smoke and tobacco blends, we designed and prepared tobacco samples with various tobacco types and different blending ratios. A RM20H smoking machine coupled with a puff-by-puff analysis unit (using Cambridge filter pads) was used to capture the particular matter, and a GC-MS method was applied to achieve the quantitative analysis of B[a]P yields in each puff. The results showed that tobacco types had a greater impact on B[a]P overall yields than the cigarette blending. In the initial seven puffs, cigarette samples with a higher ratio of flue-cured tobacco had a higher yield of B[a]P per puff. In the last puff, expanded, stems and reconstituted tobacco with a balanced ratio, while there is a higher ratio of cut tobacco, had higher B[a]P yields. Higher ratios of flue-cured and oriental tobacco had a higher puff-by-puff B[a]P yield. There was a strong linear relationship between B[a]P's per puff yields with increasing puff numbers in various tobacco formula samples (1-8 puffs), with a correlation coefficient (R) ranging from 0.789 to 0.998. In conclusion, increasing the portion of expanded and burley tobacco while reducing cut and flue-cured tobacco could effectively reduce the total yields of B[a]P in cigarette and B[a]P's puff-by-puff yields increased linearly with the increasing puff number.

Rapid determination of the volatile components in tobacco by ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

An ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction was first employed to determine the volatile components in tobacco samples. The method combined the advantages of ultrasound, microwave, and headspace solid-phase microextraction. The extraction, separation, and enrichment were performed in a single step, which could greatly simplify the operation and reduce the whole pretreatment time. In the developed method, several experimental parameters, such as fiber type, ultrasound power, and irradiation time, were optimized to improve sampling efficiency. Under the optimal conditions, there were 37, 36, 34, and 36 components identified in tobacco from Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, and Zimbabwe, respectively, including esters, heterocycles, alkanes, ketones, terpenoids, acids, phenols, and alcohols. The compound types were roughly the same while the contents were varied from different origins due to the disparity of their growing conditions, such as soil, water, and climate. In addition, the ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction method was compared with the microwave-assisted extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction and headspace solid-phase microextraction methods. More types of volatile components were obtained by using the ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction method, moreover, the contents were high. The results indicated that the ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction technique was a simple, time-saving and highly efficient approach, which was especially suitable for analysis of the volatile components in tobacco.

Is lithium implicated in tobacco addiction?

IntroductionTobacco is a source of mineral elements that can affect human health in various ways, such as lithium, which is used as a psychiatric medication. Lithium salts are used as mood-stabilizing drugs and indicated in the treatment of manic-depressive psychosis.ObjectiveStudying the lithium content in tobacco over the smokers’plasma content and evaluate the potential role of lithium in tobacco addiction.MethodsA total of 18 different tobacco products (cigarettes, smokeless and water pipe tobacco) and 125 plasma samples (45 from smokers, 10 from ex-smokers and 70 from non-smokers) were collected to determinate the lithium content. Tobacco samples were digested with nitric acid and lithium concentration was measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission. The collected plasma samples were diluted 1/10 with a nitric acid solution and the lithium level was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.ResultsThe average concentration of lithium in the cigarettes (16.59 ± 0.59 μg/g) was higher compared to those in the smokeless tobacco (8.39 ± 4.44 μg/g) and in the water pipe tobacco (6.13 ± 6.32 μg/g) but with no significant difference (P = 0.182). For plasma lithium levels, there was no significant difference (P = 0.186) between smokers and non-smokers (6.20 ± 6.24 vs. 4.98 ± 6.20 μg/g). However, a significant negative correlation was noted between plasma and the lithium content in tobacco products (r = –0.435; P = 0.04). The lithium plasma level was significantly and negatively correlated with the dependence score (r = –0.316; P = 0.031).ConclusionThe correlation between plasmatic lithium and dependence score in smokers suggests that lithium would be involved in tobacco addiction probably through his regulating action of mood.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Levels of heavy metals in the raw and processed Ethiopian tobacco leaves.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is a commercial plant. Tobacco leaves naturally accumulate and concentrate relatively high levels of heavy metals and particular cadmium in leaves. Tobacco is one of the basic agricultural products, in Ethiopia, with social and economic importance. However, there is no report in the literature on the determination of levels of heavy metals in Ethiopian tobacco leaves. Hence this research is intended to determine the levels of heavy metals in the raw and processed Ethiopian Virginia tobacco leaves. Samples of raw Virginia tobacco leaves were collected from two different regions of Ethiopia (Billate and Shewa Robit). The three processed tobacco samples were collected from National Tobacco Enterprise, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The samples were wet-digested using 3 mL HNO3 (69–72 %) and 3 mL HClO4 (70 %) at 350 °C for 3.5 h and concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The mean metals concentrations (in µg/g dry weight) in the raw Virginia tobacco leaves from Billate and Shewa Robit, respectively, were: Cu (4.38, 7.30), Zn (53.7, 33.2), Cd (1.20, 1.30), Cr (ND, 1.45), Ni (ND, 1.90). The mean metals concentrations (in µg/g dry weight) in the processed tobacco from Billate and Shewa Robit, respectively, were: Cu (9.80, 12.8), Ni (2.35, 2.20) Cd (1.45, 1.90), Cr (1.65, 1.75), Zn (101, 83.8). The mean metals concentrations (in µg/g dry weight) in the processed tobacco Nyala (Ethiopian cigarette leaves) were: Cu (8.95), Cd (1.55), Cr (1.62), Ni (4.70), Zn (79.3). The concentrations of Cr and Ni in tobacco leaves from Billate and Pb in all the tobacco samples were below the detection limits. This study showed that the metal contents of tobacco leaves varied with the geographical origin in which the tobacco plant grows. The metal contents of processed tobacco were higher than the corresponding raw leaves. Pb was not detected in both the raw and processed Ethiopian tobacco leaves.

Direct analysis of barium, calcium, potassium, and manganese concentrations in tobacco by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

This work deals with method development for the direct measurement of Ba, Ca, K, and Mn concentrations in tobacco by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Cigarette and tobacco samples from different regions of Brazil were freeze-dried and cryogenically ground for 10min. Pellets containing 0.5g of the ground material were prepared by applying 10Tcm−2 pressure for 5min in a cylindrical die set. Accurate determination of concentrations was achieved via comparison with calibration data. Calibration standards were prepared from a selected milled tobacco sample either diluted with high-purity cellulose or spiked with increasing amounts of standard solutions of the analyte, followed by freeze-drying for 48h and cryogenic mill homogenization. After acid decomposition, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES) was used to determine the mass fraction of each analyte in the calibration standards. Using the proposed method, various tobacco samples were analyzed by LIBS; the results showed a concentration range of 70–120, 25,000–30,000, 30,000–40,000, and 120–250μgg−1 for Ba, Ca, K, and Mn, respectively. The accuracy of the method was checked by the analysis of certified reference materials and by comparison of the results with obtained by ICP OES after acid decomposition. The results of Student's t-test showed 95% confidence level, indicating that the proposed LIBS method can be used for the direct analysis of tobacco.

Molecular identification of tobacco leaf curl disease in Sichuan province of China.

BackgroundTobacco leaf curl disease (TLCD) is caused by begomoviruses in Geminiviridae, and infected plants exhibit leaf thickening, downward leaf curling, vein swelling as well as stunting symptoms. It is one of the economically important diseases in tropical and subtropical tobacco-growing areas. Seven monopartite begomoviruses have been identified causing TLCD in China.FindingsIn this study, two begomoviruses were identified, characterized and polygenetically analyzed to be responsible for TLCD in Sichuan province, China. The complete genomes of two isolates SC230 and SC379 from diseased tobacco samples were cloned and sequenced to be 2738 nucleotides (nts) and 2748 nts in size, respectively. Sequence alignment indicated that SC230 and SC379 were most closely related to Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV-CN[CN:Sc226:Mal:12]) and Papaya leaf curl China virus (PaLCuCNV-CN[CN:Gx30:Lyc:03]), with a sequence identity of 99.2 and 99.2 %, respectively. The infection rate of TYLCCNV and PaLCuCNV was 100 and 34.78 %, respectively and the co-infection rate was 34.78 % in fields. Betasatellites of SC230 and SC379 share the highest sequence identity with Tomato yellow leaf curl China betasatellite (TYLCCNB-CN[CN:Sc176:Malva:12]) and TYLCCNB-CN[CN:Yn149:Tom:09], with a sequence identity of 95.2 and 97.2 % respectively. Sequence identity between betasatellites of SC230 and SC379 was 89.6 %. And TYLCCNB was detected in all the samples.ConclusionCo-infection of TYLCCNV and PaLCuCNV was identified in tobacco plants with typical symptoms of TLCD from Sichuan province in China, and this is the first report of PaLCuCNV infecting tobacco in China. TYLCCNV/TYLCCNB disease complex is widespread in tobacco-growing areas in Panzhihua city of Sichuan.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-015-0461-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Lifetime Cancer Risk of Gamma Radioactivity Results from Smoking

Smoking is one of the causes of heart attack, lung cancer and cancers of mouth and larynx. The latter could be arises from exposure of those sensitive organs to a combination of both chemical carcinogenic and radiological exposure results from naturally occurring radionuclides in tobacco leaves. Coal is also used in smoking some types of tobacco products that could be carcinogenic due to presence of a high percentage of an organic matter with inorganic matter such as minerals and trace elements. Varieties of commonly available tobacco products as well as coal samples were examined for their radioactivity content using gamma ray spectroscopy and calculate associated radiological hazards. Results shows that the average concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in tobacco samples vary from 2.6±0.2 to 8.9±0.7 (average 5.4), 1.9±0.1 to 9.5±0.8 (average 4.5), and 517.4±15.5 to 2401.2±72 (average 1360.4) Bqkg-1. Measured activity concentration for coal samples ranged from 10.8±1.1 to 64.4±2.1 (average 40.2), 3.5±0.1 to 28.3±0.3 (average 15.7), and 49.2±0.4 to 301.2±9.5 (average 215) Bqkg-1 for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K respectively. 137Cs activity concentrations in cigarettes and coal samples were ranged from 0.1±0.01 to 1.3±0.02 (average 0.5) and 2±0.01 to 5.8±0.8 (average 3.1) Bqkg-1 respectively. Radium equivalent, total annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were calculated. ELCR was higher than world's average of 1.45x10-3 for tobacco and coal samples. In Egypt no special and clear regulations for monitoring radioactivity content in imported coal and tobacco leafs or its products, which appear to be necessary.

Complementary HPLC-ICP-MS and synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy for speciation analysis of chromium in tobacco samples

This paper provides first quantitative speciation data for chromium in tobacco and tobacco smoke by using complementary HLPC-ICP-MS and XANES.

The Development of DNA Based Methods for the Reliable and Efficient Identification of Nicotiana tabacum in Tobacco and Its Derived Products.

Reliable methods are needed to detect the presence of tobacco components in tobacco products to effectively control smuggling and classify tariff and excise in tobacco industry to control illegal tobacco trade. In this study, two sensitive and specific DNA based methods, one quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay and the other loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, were developed for the reliable and efficient detection of the presence of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in various tobacco samples and commodities. Both assays targeted the same sequence of the uridine 5′-monophosphate synthase (UMPS), and their specificities and sensitivities were determined with various plant materials. Both qPCR and LAMP methods were reliable and accurate in the rapid detection of tobacco components in various practical samples, including customs samples, reconstituted tobacco samples, and locally purchased cigarettes, showing high potential for their application in tobacco identification, particularly in the special cases where the morphology or chemical compositions of tobacco have been disrupted. Therefore, combining both methods would facilitate not only the detection of tobacco smuggling control, but also the detection of tariff classification and of excise.