Body burden of toxic metals and rare earth elements in non-smokers, cigarette smokers and electronic cigarette users

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 166; pp. 269 - 275
• Main Authors: Badea, Mihaela, Luzardo, Octavio P., González-Antuña, Ana, Zumbado, Manuel, Rogozea, Liliana, Floroian, Laura, Alexandrescu, Dana, Moga, Marius, Gaman, Laura, Radoi, Mariana, Boada, Luis D., Henríquez-Hernández, Luis Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.10.2018
• Subjects: ANTIMONY; BERYLLIUM; BLOOD SERUM; BODY BURDEN; CERIUM; cigarettes; CONCENTRATION RATIO; COPPER; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electronic cigarette; electronic equipment; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ERBIUM; EUROPIUM; Exposure; HEAVY METALS; human health; Humans; ICP MASS SPECTROSCOPY; INTAKE; Metals, Heavy - blood; Metals, Rare Earth - blood; MOLYBDENUM; Non-Smokers; POLLUTANTS; PUBLIC HEALTH; Rare earth elements; Romania; selenium; SILVER; Smokers; SMOKES; Smoking; STRONTIUM; Tobacco; TOBACCO PRODUCTS; TOXICITY; Trace Elements - blood; VANADIUM; ZINC; Romania; Tobacco; Exposure; Rare earth elements; Heavy metals; Electronic cigarette; Smoking
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.007

Smoking is considered an important source for inorganic elements, most of them toxic for human health. During the last years, there has been a significant increase in the use of e-cigarettes, although the role of them as source of inorganic elements has not been well established. A cross-sectional study including a total of 150 subjects from Brasov (Romania), divided into three groups (non-smokers, cigarette smokers and electronic cigarettes smokers) were recruited to disclose the role of smoking on the human exposure to inorganic elements. Concentration of 42 elements, including trace elements, elements in the ATSDR's priority pollutant list and rare earth elements (REE) were measured by ICP-MS in the blood serum of participants. Cigarette smokers showed the highest levels of copper, molybdenum, zinc, antimony, and strontium. Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users presented the highest concentrations of selenium, silver, and vanadium. Beryllium, europium and lanthanides were detected more frequently among e-cigarette users (20.6%, 23.5%, and 14.7%) than in cigarette smokers (1.7%, 19.0%, and 12.1%, respectively); and the number of detected REE was also higher among e-cigarette users (11.8% of them showed more than 10 different elements). Serum levels of cerium and erbium increased as the duration of the use of e-cigarettes was longer. We have found that smoking is mainly a source of heavy metals while the use of e-cigarettes is a potential source of REE. However, these elements were detected at low concentrations. •The role of smoking as a source for 42 inorganic element intakes was explored.•The exposure levels of non-smoker, cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users was compared.•Cigarette smokers showed the highest levels of Cu, Mo, Zn, Sb, and Sr.•E-cigarettes users presented the highest concentrations of Se, Ag, and V.•Be, Eu and La were detected more frequently among e-cigarette users.