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Table 3 Summary of current findings in contemporary STPs and historic values for radionuclides of the thorium decay series and for potassium-40 and cosmic ray generated radionuclides

From: Comprehensive survey of radionuclides in contemporary smokeless tobacco products

Radionuclide

Main radioactive emission mode

Proportion of measured STPs in which radionuclide detected

Range in STPs with detectable levels of radionuclide

Historic radioactivity values in tobacco (mBq/g dwb)

Tobacco type

Country

Date

References

Radioactivity (mBq/g WWB)

Mass (g/g WWB)

232Th

α

1/70

1

3 × 10−7

0.5–18.4

Various

Various

1973–2012

[20, 21, 90,91,92]

228Ac

β−

0/73

BLD

BLD

0.4–6.5

Moassel, cigarette

Egypt, Iraq, Switzerland

1963–2009

[28, 29, 71, 93]

228Th

α

47/70

1–9

4–28 × 10−17

BLQ-206

Cigarette, leaf

Russia, Brazil

1972–1994

[20, 94]

212Pb

β−

0/73

BLD

BLD

BLQ-9

Cigarette

Switzerland, Iraq

1971–2009

[28, 29]

212Bi

β−

0/73

BLD

BLD

9.9–17

Cigarette

Iraq

2009

[29]

208Tl

β−

0/73

BLD

BLD

BLQ

Cigarette

Switzerland

1971

[28]

40K

β−

72/73

390–1900

1–7 × 10−6

49–2183

Various

Various

1961–2012

[21, 29, 36, 71, 79, 95,96,97,98,99,100]

14C

β−

69/73

20–101

1–6 × 10−13

None reported

3H

β−

2/73

29–65

8–18 × 10−17

None reported

  1. BLD below limit of detection, BLQ below limit of quantification