Estimates of Cd exposures from smoking.
Based on tobacco Cd content data reported
for various Asian cigarette brands (O’Connor
et al. 2010), we assumed that for every pack
of cigarettes, Bangkok smokers inhaled
5.5 µg of Cd. We assumed Mae Sot smokers
inhaled 6.5 µg Cd/pack of cigarettes, given
the potential increase in pulmonary absorption due to anemia (Swaddiwudhipong
et al. 2007), which can promote Cd uptake
(Satarug et al. 2002, 2004b). To estimate
overall Cd exposure (i.e., oral plus inhalation) for smokers, we used the model-based
age-, sex-, and population- specific estimates
of GM dietary-Cd exposure derived for those
who never smoked and the number of packs
smoked per day reported by participants,
as the initial model input for each group of
smokers. We then obtained model-based