Radiation in your Cigarettes

Overheal

Polonium-210, to be exact.

http://gizmodo.com/5845446/the-secret-tobacco-companies-dont-want-you-to-know-theres-radiation-inside-cigarettes

The Secret Tobacco Companies Don’t Want You to Know: There’s Radiation Inside Cigarettes

Rat poison. Lighter fluid. Battery acid. Pesticides. And now...radiation. What do they all have in common? They're all rolled into one cancer causing cigarette. What's worse, tobacco companies have known that radiation was inside cigarettes but hid evidence of it for 4 decades.
The radioactive substance found in cigarettes is polonium-210, a radioactive material that "emits hazardous particles called alpha particles". Whens smokers inhale, the particles work with the other carcinogens found in cigarettes to pull double duty in damaging the lungs (and creating cancer).
ABC News reports that researchers at UCLA recently discovered that tobacco companies knew of radiation in cigarettes as far back as 1959. In 1960, the tobacco companies studied polonium, figured how much radiation a normal smoker would inhale over 20 years, knew it would cause cancer but nefariously hid their calculations so no one would find out. They did their research, knew it was bad and covered their tracks.
Later on, the tobacco companies even ignored new procedures like "acid washing" that would have removed 99% of the polonium-210 from cigarettes. Their reason for not using it? The process would have reduced the "instant nicotine rush" smokers crave. If healthier means less addictive, tobacco companies will never let it happen.
So we're stuck with radioactive cigarettes. Polonium-210 is still in tobacco products today. Thanks. [ABC News via Consumerist, Image Credit: Stanislav Popov/Shutterstock]

....Yeah I'll stick to beer, ta.

Polonium-210 was the same isotope used to poison former KGB agent Alexander Litvenenko in 2006.

Overview

By mass, polonium-210 is around 250,000 times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide (the actual LD50 for 210Po is about 1 microgram for an 80 kg person (see below) compared with about 250 milligrams for hydrogen cyanide[35]). The main hazard is its intense radioactivity (as an alpha emitter), which makes it very difficult to handle safely: one gram of Po will self-heat to a temperature of around 500 °C (932 °F).[4] Even in microgram amounts, handling 210Po is extremely dangerous, requiring specialized equipment and strict handling procedures. Alpha particles emitted by polonium will damage organic tissue easily if polonium is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed, although they do not penetrate the epidermis and hence are not hazardous if the polonium is outside the body.
[edit] Acute effects

The median lethal dose (LD50) for acute radiation exposure is generally about 4.5 Sv.[36] The committed effective dose equivalent 210Po is 0.51 µSv/Bq if ingested, and 2.5 µSv/Bq if inhaled.[37] Since 210Po has an activity of 166 TBq per gram (4,500 Ci/g)[37] (1 gram produces 166×1012 decays per second), a fatal 4.5 Sv (J/kg) dose can be caused by ingesting 8.8 MBq (238 microcuries, µCi), about 50 nanograms (ng), or inhaling 1.8 MBq (48 µCi), about 10 ng. One gram of 210Po could thus in theory poison 20 million people of whom 10 million would die. The actual toxicity of 210Po is lower than these estimates, because radiation exposure that is spread out over several weeks (the biological half-life of polonium in humans is 30 to 50 days[38]) is somewhat less damaging than an instantaneous dose. It has been estimated that a median lethal dose of 210Po is 0.015 GBq (0.4 mCi), or 0.089 micrograms, still an extremely small amount.[39][40]
[edit] Long term (chronic) effects

In addition to the acute effects, radiation exposure (both internal and external) carries a long-term risk of death from cancer of 5–10% per Sv.[36] The general population is exposed to small amounts of polonium as a radon daughter in indoor air; the isotopes 214Po and 218Po are thought to cause the majority[41] of the estimated 15,000-22,000 lung cancer deaths in the US every year that have been attributed to indoor radon.[42] Tobacco smoking causes additional exposure to polonium.[43]

Sky King

Radiation! Someone tell the smokers that what they're doing may cause cancer quick!

Snakeblood

Overheal wrote: »

Polonium-210, to be exact.

http://gizmodo.com/5845446/the-secret-tobacco-companies-dont-want-you-to-know-theres-radiation-inside-cigarettes

....Yeah I'll stick to beer, ta.

Polonium-210 was the same isotope used to poison former KGB agent Alexander Litvenenko in 2006.

WELL THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

FetchTheGin

How come I don't have super powers?:(

msg11

Has this not been know for years ? It's what causes the cancer in cigarettes it's hardly nuclear radiation now to be honest. Nearly everything gives of some form off radiation. The thing with cigarettes is there sprayed with pure crap. There really dirty things cigarettes.

decisions

So....there is also a load of radiation in Bananas you don't see monkeys quitting.

FetchTheGin

decisions wrote: »

So....there is also a load of radiation in Bananas you don't see monkeys quitting.

RACIST!!!:mad::pac:

SEPT 23 1989

Just adds to that sweet sweet taste

newballsplease

Only Fallout Boy can save me now!

Handy11

It's amazing they only discovered this now. The tobacco companies must have rigged the lab equipment of everyone who has tried to analyse the content of cigarettes to date. The divils

Biggins

Overheal wrote: »

....Yeah I'll stick to beer, ta.

Beer is not safe either!

See:

* http://www.flickr.com/photos/maceelaine/2785555515/

* http://forums.dealofday.com/threads/145659-Eeew!-Judge-finds-a-mouse-in-his-beer!

DrumSteve

INCEPTION.

Ruu_Old

That explains that odd glow that smokers have, huh.

Wearing goggles reduces the effect of the radiation.

CreepingDeath

FetchTheGin wrote: »

How come I don't have super powers?:(

I can stop a moving bus with one hand.

cocoshovel

Ah shur there is radiation in everything these days. I cant have some noodles or eat a packet of crisps without someone telling me Im going to get cancer if I don't stop.

Irish_wolf

You get raditation from everything, i'd say you get more radiation from eating a banana than from smoking a cigarette. Radiation is everywhere and you get a severe dose of it over the course of a year but we still do okay.

Here's a chart of relative doses of radiation courtesy of xkcd

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

Overheal

I could be wrong, so if any nuclear chemists would like to correct me, I welcome it.

Where does this polonium-210 come from? It's not some kind of magical product of tobacco, because plants are incapable of synthesising chemical elements. It's formed from the decay of heavier elements, which have been around since nucleosynthesis from billions of years ago.

The only problem here is the method of administration with cigarettes: you're inhaling the polonium and it decays in your lungs. This is probably the case with the smoke formed by burning any organic matter, such as that from fires, incense, Cannabis, whatever the case may be.

Overheal wrote:

....Yeah I'll stick to beer, ta.

For the reasons stated above, I'd say it's pretty likely you're drinking just about as much polonium with every pint.

cocoshovel wrote:

Ah shur there is radiation in everything these days. I can have some noodles or eat a packet of crisps without someone telling me Im going to get cancer if I don't stop.

That's not quite how it works, but yes, there is radiation everywhere. What matters is the type and wavelength of the radiation.

FetchTheGin

CreepingDeath wrote: »

I can stop a moving bus with one hand.

Doesn't count if it's your **** hand. :P

Ruu_Old

cocoshovel wrote: »

Ah shur there is radiation in everything these days. I cant have some noodles or eat a packet of crisps without someone telling me Im going to get cancer if I don't stop.

I miss the Bacon Sizzler pot noodle. Damn Sudan I!

WoollyRedHat

CreepingDeath wrote: »

I can stop a moving bus with one hand.

Aren't you a bit too old to be playing with toy buses?

ScumLord

FetchTheGin wrote: »

How come I don't have super powers?:(

Have you tried using any yet? To fly put your fist in the air and say "up up and away". Or have a friend shot you to see if your bullet prove.

Eric Cartman

* the list of poisons etc contained in cigarettes are overstated as the bitumen listed is from the lighter and the other ingredients are as a result of lax US regulation including the famous case of ammonia being used by tobacco companies to make nicotine more addictive. EU made cigarettes are a different blend alltogether and would not be composed in the same way

sandmanporto

Cigarettes are little death sticks !

Biggins

sandmanporto wrote: »

Cigarettes are little death sticks !

*NEWSFLASH*

face1990

Another reason I prefer the rollies. Apart from the superior taste, they have far few additives. Not sure if they're polonium-free, but have a lot less shít added.

Killer Pigeon

So, what if the terrorists get their hands on the cigarettes?

westendgirlie

Sacramento wrote: »

Wearing goggles reduces the effect of the radiation.

Thanks for the advice. I know what to wear next time I'm standing beside the microwave, phone at my ear and ciggie in my hand

Emiko

There's no chemicals in mine.

I normally smoke American Spirit, but couldn't get them this week so am smoking Manitou instead.

I'm just back from Spain where you can buy several varieties of additive free cigarette. Why they can't be purchased here is a mystery.

Temptamperu

Emiko wrote: »

There's no chemicals in mine.

I normally smoke American Spirit, but couldn't get them this week so am smoking Manitou instead.

I'm just back from Spain where you can buy several varieties of additive free cigarette. Why they can't be purchased here is a mystery.

Becasue "big Tabbaco" wont allow such a thing