Cadmium In Cigarette By Will Mehle

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Cadmium in Cigarettes by Will Mehle

Cadmium is incredibly toxic and is present in low levels in food and in high levels in cigarette smoke (Martin). Breathing air with very high levels of cadmium can damage the lungs, cause lung cancer or lead to death (ATSDR). Breathing air with low levels of cadmium over long periods of time can cause a buildup of cadmium in the kidney, and may lead to kidney cancer (ATSDR). A single cigarette typically contains 1-2 mcg (micrograms) of cadmium and when burned, cadmium is present in 1,000-3,000 ppb (parts per billion) of the smoke (Martin). About 40-60 percent of the cadmium inhaled with cigarette smoke is able to pass through the lungs and into the body (Martin). This adds up to about 1-3 mcg of cadmium

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