Evidence of Organ-Specific Metal Accumulation: ICP-MS Elemental Analysis of Autopsy Tissues of Tobacco Smokers

Cigarette smoking exposes individuals to numerous toxic substances, including heavy metals. Smokers are at risk due to the accumulation of these substances in various tissues. Objective: To compare the concentrations of 41 elements in 11 brain regions, the spinal cord, the bronchial, the lungs, and the liver in smokers (n = 11) and non-smokers (n = 17). Elemental composition was determined by ICP-MS after wet digestion in a microwave system. The following toxic elements were detected at levels of µg/g w.w.: Al, Cd, Pb, Ba, As, Ni, and Tl. Significantly higher concentrations of Al were detected in bronchial and lung, and more Pb, Tl, and rare earth elements were detected in the liver of smokers compared to non-smokers. In addition, smokers had significantly lower concentrations of essential elements involved in antioxidant defense, such as Cu, in liver tissue (p = 0.033). The brain and spinal cord in smokers and non-smokers were similar in terms of chemical composition, except the insula, where smokers had greater Al accumulation (p = 0.030), the precentral gyrus, where higher amounts of As, Cd, and Mn were detected, and the septal nucleus accumbens, which preferentially accumulated Cd in smokers; however, the p-values indicate that these differences were not statistically significant. Most brain areas of smokers were characterized by higher Na content (p < 0.05). These findings prove the long-term effects of smoking, demonstrating the bioaccumulation of toxic elements, the increased levels of rare earth elements in the liver, decreased levels of elements involved in the body's antioxidant defense, and disruption of sodium homeostasis in the brain of smokers.