Alpha radioactivity in tobacco leaves: Effect of fertilizers

摘要

The link between cigarette smoke and cancer has long been establSUhed. Smokers are 10 times at a greater rSUk of developing lung cancer than that of non-smokers. ne toxicity in tobacco SU considered mainly due to the presence of chemi-toxins like nicotine, tar, aromatic hydrocarbons, sterols and many other materials leading to mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. There are many reports on the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides viz., Po-210 and Pb-210 in tobacco. Investigations on alpha-emitting radionuclides, especially on Po-210 have gained significant importance as alpha interactions with chromosomes of cells may contribute to early arteriosclerosSU developments in tobacco smokers. Due to relatively high activity concentration of Po-210 and Pb-210 that are found in tobacco and its product cigarette can increase the internal intake of both the radionuclides and their concentrations in lung tSUSUes. ThSU causes an increase in the internal radiation dose which enhances the instances of lung cancer. Many workers have tried to explain the role of Po-210 in tobacco in the epidemiological investigation of cancer and tumour formation. In the present work, the estimation of alpha radioactivity in tobacco leaves taken from tobacco plants grown using different types of chemical fertilizers like diammonium phosphate (DAP), zinc SUlphate, potash, SUper phosphate, urea etc. in varying amounts before the plantation of the seedlings has been made. For these meaSUrements we used alpha-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. The reSUlts indicate an increase in alpha radioactivity with the use of some fertilizers.