Commercial tobacco smoke is a mixture of more than 5,000 chemicals.[1] According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,[2] the following are known human carcinogens found in cigarette smoke:

Chemical Amount (per cigarette)
Acetaldehyde 980 micrograms to 1.37 milligrams
Acrylonitrile formerly 1 to 2 milligrams. This product was used as a fumigant in tobacco. Its use has since been discontinued.
4-Aminobiphenyl 0.2 to 23 nanograms
o-Anisidine hydrochloride unknown
Arsenic unknown
Benzene 5.9 to 75 micrograms
Beryllium 0.5 nanograms
1,3-Butadiene 152 to 400 micrograms
Cadmium 1.7 micrograms
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine unknown
Ethylene oxide unknown
Formaldehyde unknown
Furan unknown
Heterocyclic amines unknown
Hydrazine 32 micrograms
Isoprene 3.1 milligrams
Lead unknown
2-Naphthylamine 1.5 to 35 nanograms
Nitromethane unknown
N-Nitrosodi-n-butylamine 3 nanograms
N-Nitrosodiethanolamine 24 to 36 nanograms
N-Nitrosodiethylamine up to 8.3 nanograms
N-Nitrosodimethylamine 5.7 to 43 nanograms
N-Nitrosodi-n-propylamine 1 nanogram
4-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone up to 4.2 micrograms
N-Nitrosonornicotine 14 micrograms
N-Nitrosopiperidine unknown
N-Nitrosopyrrolidine 113 nanograms
N-Nitrososarcosine 22 to 460 nanograms
Polonium-210 variable[3]
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 28 to 100 milligrams
o-Toluidine 32 nanograms
Vinyl chloride 5.6 to 27 nanograms

See also

References

  1. ^ Talhout, Reinskje; Schulz, Thomas; Florek, Ewa; Van Benthem, Jan; Wester, Piet; Opperhuizen, Antoon (2011). "Hazardous Compounds in Tobacco Smoke". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 8 (12): 613–628. doi:10.3390/ijerph8020613. ISSN 1660-4601. PMC 3084482. PMID 21556207.
  2. ^ "About the Report on Carcinogens". Archived from the original on 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  3. ^ Godwin, W. S.; Subha, V. R.; Feroz, K. M. (2010). "210Po radiation dose due to cigarette smoking" (PDF). Current Science. 98: 681–686. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
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