Determination of metal ions in contraband cigarettes in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, one out of each four cigarettes consumed by the smokers is smuggled. These cigarettes do not go through quality control and can present potential risk to their consumers. In this study, the flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) of metal ions Cu, Mn, Zn, Co, Cr, Cd, Pb, Fe, Ag and Ni was carried out in cigarettes of 18 different brands, which are the most smuggled into the country. The results obtained revealed that in all 18 brands of cigarettes analyzed, the values of metal ions under study appeared in higher concentrations when compared to similar studies found in the literature, with values up to eleven times higher for very toxic metals such as Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb.