Measurement of radiation emitted by a smoking cigarette

Abstract

This study aimed to measure and evaluate the radiation released from cigarette smoke of various brands sold in Thailand. A Geiger-Muller tube radiation sensor was used and placed in a cigarette holder to take measurements. The sample consisted of eight cigarette brands: KN1, KN2, KN3, KN4, KN5, KN6, KN7, and KN8. For each brand, cigarettes were lit, and radiation release was measured in microsieverts per hour (μSv/h) using a highly sensitive radiation sensor. The study was based on scientific research suggesting that tobacco cultivation could accumulate radioactive elements from radon gas found in the soil and the surrounding environment of tobacco plants. These radioactive elements could gather on the trichomes or tiny hairs on tobacco leaves. When the tobacco leaves were processed into cigarettes, the combustion process released these radioactive substances along with the cigarette smoke. The experiment's results revealed that radiation release varies among the different brands. The KN6 brand had the highest radiation release at 0.0351±0.02 μSv/h, while KN2 had the lowest at 0.0156±0.01 μSv/h. The radiation released from cigarettes made from tobacco leaves contaminated with radioactive substances could accumulate in the bronchial tubes and small airways of the lungs, posing a long-term risk factor for lung cancer. This study was crucial for raising public awareness and providing information about the dangers of radiation exposure from cigarette smoke, which could have long-term health effects. Disseminating this information could encourage the implementation of measures to control radioactive contamination in cigarette production processes, effectively reducing health risks for consumers and those around them.