![How Can Smoke Exposure Increase Heavy Metal Levels in Children? How Can Smoke Exposure Increase Heavy Metal Levels in Children?](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/unveiling-the-blurred-vision-link.jpg)
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is associated with increased levels of metals in children’s saliva
Go to source).
What are the Long-term Effects of Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
Secondhand tobacco smoke continues to be a major source of //indoor air pollution that causes more than 41,000 nonsmoking adults to die every year in the United States (2✔ ✔Trusted SourceSTATE System Smokefree Indoor Air Fact Sheet
Go to source), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The exposure is even more dire for children, who can be more affected by less smoke. It can increase frequency and severity of
‘Kids are exposed to increased levels of exposure in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). #carcinogens #pollutants #secondhandsmoke’
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Published recently in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the study on the correlation between smoke exposure and salivary heavy metal levels was led by Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, professor of human development and family studies and Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member. She is also the principal investigator at the Child Brain Development Lab, which is focused on preventive intervention programs to improve childhood development. As part of this work, she became interested in the effects of second- and thirdhand smoke, such as surface residue, on children. ![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
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ETS is typically measured by the levels of cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, in children’s blood or saliva. Gatzke-Kopp and her research team found significant associations between salivary cotinine and salivary levels of essential trace metals such as copper and zinc and of non-essential metals such as lead. Children with higher levels of cotinine also had higher levels of heavy metals in their saliva.
The work is part of the Family Life Project (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
Family Life Project
Go to source), a prospective, population-based longitudinal study by multiple universities, including Penn State. The researchers recruited approximately 1,300 families at the time of their child’s birth in 2003 and 2004 to study the development of children growing up in rural areas in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. For the current project, researchers took a subset of 238 children 7.5 years of age and under and measured levels of cotinine and metals in their saliva.
“We were surprised by the levels of heavy metals in children at this age,” Gatzke-Kopp said. “Our findings suggest that environmental tobacco smoke exposure may be one source of increased children’s exposure to heavy metals.”
While vaping has been cast as a healthier alternative to tobacco-based products, previous studies of common products used for vaping report varying levels of toxic metals in the liquids.
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Now that researchers have determined that metal levels in saliva correlates to smoke exposure, Gatzke-Kopp said, it may be possible that a simple saliva test could serve as a non-invasive tool for assessing environmental and occupational exposures to trace metals. The issue, however, is that currently there are no official guidelines for appropriate metal levels in human saliva.
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References:
- Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is associated with increased levels of metals in children’s saliva - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-023-00554-w)
- STATE System Smokefree Indoor Air Fact Sheet - (https://www.cdc.gov/statesystem/factsheets/sfia/SmokeFreeIndoorAir.html)
- Family Life Project - (https://prevention.psu.edu/flagship_intitiative/family-life-project/)
Source-Eurekalert