Risk assessment of dioxins in cigarette smoke

Introduction There is no doubt that smoking cigarettes is harmful to human health. If the dioxin concentrations in cigarette smoke reach or exceed the carcinogenic levels suggested by the US EPA, and further the toxicity levels reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the detrimental effects of cigarette smoking are much more serious. In this research, we have analyzed the dioxin concentrations in 5 major brands of cigarettes from Japan and the United States. Dioxin, furan and PCB congener concentrations were determined in the cigarette tobacco leaf, paper, ashes and filters. We then estimated the amount of dioxin TEQ in the smoke of the cigarettes, as well as the risk of human intake by smoking.