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Examining of Thallium in Cigarette Smokers

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Abstract

Smoking is one of the sources of thallium which is considered as a toxic heavy metal. The aim of this study was to determine urinary thallium levels and related variables in smokers, compared to a control group. The study was conducted on 56 participants who had smoked continuously during the year before they were referred to Kashan Smoking Cessation Clinic. Fifty-three nonsmokers who were family members or friends of the smokers were selected as the control group. Urinary thallium was measured in both groups (n = 109) using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean value (with SD) for urinary thallium in the smokers (10.16 ± 1.82 μg/L) was significantly higher than in the control group (2.39 ± 0.63 μg/L). There was a significant relationship between smoking duration and urinary thallium levels (P = 0.003). In a subgroup of smokers who was addicted to opium and opium residues (n = 9), the mean level of thallium (37.5 ± 13.09 μg/L) was significantly higher than in the other smokers (4.93 ± 4.45; P = 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed opioid abuse, insomnia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), together were strong predictors of urinary thallium levels in smokers. There was no significant difference in thallium level in hookah smokers (P = 0.299) or in those with COPD compared to other smokers (P = 0.375). Urinary thallium levels of smokers with clinical signs of depression, sleep disorders, memory loss, and sweating were higher than those of smokers without these signs. Since thallium, as other toxic metals is accumulated in the body, and cigarette smoking also involves carcinogenic exposures and health hazards for passively exposed people, the need for cigarette control policies is emphasized.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences (KAUMS/2016-20).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Amir Ghaderi & Hamid Reza Banafshe

  2. Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Amir Ghaderi, Payam NasehGhafoori & Hamid Reza Banafshe

  3. Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Science, Kashan, Iran

    Morad Rasouli-Azad

  4. Substance Abuse and Dependence Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Morad Rasouli-Azad

  5. Department of Community Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Mojtaba Sehat

  6. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Science, Kashan, Iran

    Fateme Mehrzad

  7. Department of Medicine, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

    Mina Nekuei

  8. Elverum, and Research Department, Innlandet Hospital, Norway University of Applied Sciences, Brumunddal, Norway

    Jan Aaseth

  9. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Ravand Street, Kashan, 87159-88141, Iran

    Hamid Reza Banafshe

  10. Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

    Omid Mehrpour

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  1. Amir Ghaderi
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Contributions

AGH, HR-B, and MR-A contributed in the conception, design, statistical analysis, and drafting of the manuscript. P-NG, MR-A, MS, FM, MN, JA, and OM contributed in the data collection and manuscript drafting. All authors approved the final version for submission.

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Correspondence to Hamid Reza Banafshe.

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Ghaderi, A., NasehGhafoori, P., Rasouli-Azad, M. et al. Examining of Thallium in Cigarette Smokers. Biol Trace Elem Res 182, 224–230 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1107-y

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