[Effect of passive smoking on the level of selected metals in deciduous teeth]

The cigarette smoke is a significant source of heavy metals, which after being absorbed into the human organism, may be accumulated in a calcified tissue. The accumulation process may be also a result of a passive exposure to the cigarette smoke. As the hard tissues of deciduous teeth are relatively stable in chemical composition, they are widely used as the indicators of the exposure to heavy metals in children. This project is aimed to estimate the effect of passive smoke on the levels of selected toxic and essential elements in deciduous teeth. The research material consisted of 386 deciduous teeth. Out of this, 205 teeth were from the children exposed to the cigarette smoke in the apartments. The levels of cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc, calcium and magnesium were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer with flame atomization. It was concluded that the exposure to the cigarette smoke in children is a factor producing the changes in the levels of selected toxic and essential elements in deciduous teeth. This particularly results in the higher levels of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc, which are the permanent constituents of the cigarette smoke, and the lower levels of manganese, calcium and magnesium. Moreover, the disturbed gradient of lead levels dependent on the tooth type is observed in the children exposed to the cigarette smoke in the apartments.