Study Finds Heavy Metals in Chinese Cigarettes

A study has found that Chinese cigarettes contain potentially harmful amounts of heavy metals.

The study was published in the scientific journal Tobacco Control. It found that some Chinese cigarettes contain three times more dead, arsenic and cadmium than Canadian cigarettes.

According to Reuters, the team of researchers said the heavy metals were from contaminated soil. Heavy metals in the soil were absorbed into the tobacco crops.

The leading author of the study, Richard O’Connor said the biggest health issue was repeated exposure. Smokers typically smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day and these heavy metals add to a cocktail of toxic substances.

The researchers analyzed 78 popular Chinese cigarette brands and said the findings were especially troubling given the prevalence of smoking in China, and the export ambitions of the state-run China National Tobacco Corporation.

According to The Tobacco Atlas, China has 300 million smokers who consume a third of the world’s cigarettes. Smoking kills more than a million Chinese people every year.

Foto: NTDTV