Aluminum in Tobacco and Cannabis and Smoking-Related Disease
Open accessAbstract
Purpose The study aimed to confirm the very high content of aluminum in tobacco and cannabis and to provide for the first time evidence that such aluminum could be biologically available. Methods Complete digestion of tobacco and cannabis was achieved using a 50:50 mixture of 14 M HNO3 and 0.1 M NaF. Total Al in digests was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. A bespoke cigarette smoking apparatus was used to determine if aluminum in active or passive tobacco/cannabis smoke would be trapped by a surrogate lung fluid. Results The aluminum content of tobacco and cannabis was confirmed to be high, as much as 0.37% and 0.4% by weight respectively. Aluminum in tobacco and cannabis smoke, whether actively (drawn) or passively inhaled, was shown to accumulate significantly in surrogate lung fluids, thus demonstrating its potential biological availability. Conclusions Active and passive smoking of tobacco or cannabis will increase the body burden of aluminum and thereby contribute to respiratory, neurological and other smoking-related disease.
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Cigarette smoke may contribute to the concentration of aluminium in the air.
“Cigarette smoke may contribute to the concentration of Al in the air (Exley et al., 2006; Kazi et al., 2009; Pappas, 2011; Afridi et al., 2015).”
From Aluminium toxicosis: a review of toxic actions and effects (2019) · cites this paper as Exley et al., 2006
Cites
Effects of smoking and smoking abstinence on cognition in adolescent tobacco smokers.
Jacobsen, L. K., Krystal, J. H., Mencl, W. E., Westerveld, M., Frost, S. J., & Pugh, K. R. (2005) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.10.022 · Cited by 393 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Smoking has also been linked to respiratory disease(13) and neurological dysfunction.(14,15) Is it time to ask if some of the known tobacco-related illnesses are caused or compounded by aluminum in tobacco?”
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Aluminium toxicosis: a review of toxic actions and effects
Igbokwe, I. O., Igwenagu, E., & Igbokwe, N. A. (2019) · Interdisciplinary Toxicology · doi:10.2478/intox-2019-0007 · Cited by 395 · see citing works
“Cigarette smoke may contribute to the concentration of Al in the air (Exley et al., 2006; Kazi et al., 2009; Pappas, 2011; Afridi et al., 2015).”
BackgroundExley, C. (2013) · Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts · doi:10.1039/c3em00374d · Cited by 382 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Exley, C., Begum, A., Woolley, M. P., & Bloor, R. N.
- Affiliations
- Keele University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Exley, Christopher
- ORCID
- Exley, Christopher
- Venue
- The American Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-03
- Volume
- 119
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 276.e9-276.e11
- ISSN
- 0002-9343 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2085833645
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 5.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The American Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Analytical Chemistry › Heavy Metals in Plants
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animals
- Keywords
- aluminum, tobacco, cannabis, smoking-related diseases, bioavailability, passive smoking, aluminum accumulation, cigarette smoke, body burden, respiratory diseases, neurological disorders
- MeSH terms
- Aluminum, Biological Availability, Cannabis, Humans, Lung, Lung Diseases, Nicotiana, Tobacco Products
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