Elemental characterization of tar by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence of the three most consumed cigarettes brands in Peru

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO),85% of deaths from lung cancer were attributable to tobacco use in 2018 (WHO, 2020). However, this data is from the European region and there is a lack of studies related in developing countries such as Peru. In this frame, we employed the nuclear technique of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) in order to analyzed 3 of the most consumed brands of cigarettes in Peru were analyzed. To do so, an artificial experiment array was carried out to simulate the human lungs of not only an active but a passive smoker as well. With these results, this research was able to find the elemental chemical composition of the tar that it is impregnated to the lungs of the consumer for each brand and give a glance about the presence of the most harmful of elements.