Detection of 210Pb in the lungs of smokers by in-vivo gamma spectrometry

Since mainstream smoke is highly enriched in 210Pb, alpha radiation from inhaled cigarette smoke particles has been proposed as a cancer-producing agent in cigarette smokers. 210Po and 210Pb have been observed in tobacco, cigarette smoke and in the lungs of smokers. Since 210Pb is highly enriched in mainstream smoke, there have been estimates of yearly excesses of 210Pb in the lungs of one-pack-a-day smokers of 3 to 10 pCi (0.11 to 0.37 Bq). The ORNL Whole Body Counter was used to verify this estimate by the methodology of high-resolution, in vivo gamma spectrometry. Measurements were made on 113 adult male non-radiation workers who have either smoked at least one pack of cigarettes per day for at least five years, or have never smoked cigarettes. An analysis-of-variance table was generated based on the Pb-ratio for each individual which revealed that there was no statistically significant increase in the amount of 210Pb in the lungs of smokers over those of non-smokers. Sources of error are also discussed