Polonium-210 and lead-210 in heated tobacco smoke

It is known that conventional tobacco cigarettes, among other carcinogens, contain two radionuclides, Polonium-210, a potent alpha-emitting carcinogen, and Lead-210, its precursor, weakly alpha, beta and gamma radioactive. Recently, a study by the University of Lausanne, in addition to confirming the presence of Polonium-210 and Lead-210 in conventional tobacco cigarettes, also unveiled their presence in heated tobacco product sticks (IQOS HEETS). The levels of these radionuclides are lower than those released from conventional cigarettes because only 15% of the tobacco in an IQOS stick is actually heated to the target temperature of 330°C, nevertheless the impact on health is significant. Results show that conventional smoking of one pack per day induces a dose to the lung of about 0.3 mSv/year. This dose decreases by a factor of ten (0.03 mSv/year) for the IQOS system. The presence of alpha radioactivity in conventional and IQOS heated tobacco cigarettes may be an important factor in increasing the motivational baggage to quit.