Question - Cadmium concentrations in blood can be up to five times higher and kidney concentrations up to three times higher in tobacco smokers, compared to nonsmokers. What is the source of the cadmium present in tobacco?
Answer- The cited reference notes cadmium is “naturally accumulated in the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum). This “hyper accumulation” leads to very high cadmium concentrations in the tobacco leaf, relatively independent of its soil concentration.” (Ganguly K et al. Cadmium in tobacco smokers: A neglected link to lung disease. 2018 Eur Resp Review. 27: 170122 [https://doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0122-2017])
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