Metallic Trace Elements in Tobacco

Metals, ligands, and cancer

“…For example, it has been found that the well-researched tobacco plant contains aluminum, barium, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, sodium, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. 60 In laboratory experiments, hamster carcinogenesis has been definitely shown to be zinc dependent, but the mechanism is still under investigation because, on the one hand, DeWys, et al, report dietary zinc deficiencies as inhibiting cancer,61 whereas, on the other hand, Poswillo and Cohen report zinc sulfate excesses as inhibiting cancer, some of this excess zinc appearing in the newly healed tissues. 62 In humans, high zinc (and chromium) soil contents have been correlated with the regional incidences of stomach cancer.…”

Neutron activation analysis of copper by substoichiometric extraction wth neocuproine

“…compared with the values 76.7 (16), 32.4 (17), 17-32 (18), and [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] (19) ppm in various commercial tobaccos reported in the literature. The wide variation in the values is a result of the tobacco crops grown on different soils.…”