To Evaluate the Concentration of Heavy Metals in Different Shisha Products Present in Pakistan and Associated Risk Factors on Public Health

Usman Ahmad; Altaf Hussain; Rahmat Wali; Abdul Mateen

Authors

Usman Ahmad Department of Biology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi – 46300, Pakistan
Altaf Hussain Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha – 40100, Pakistan
Rahmat Wali Department of Biology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi – 46300, Pakistan
Abdul Mateen Department of Biology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi – 46300, Pakistan

Keywords:

Flame AAS, Toxic metals, Human Health, Correlation, α significance (T-Test), Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Tobacco Shisha consumption is widespread in Pakistan, posing significant health risks due to the presence of various toxic substances. The heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) are of particular concern due to their potential to cause severe health issues.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals in various brands of tobacco Shisha present in Pakistan and to assess their implications for public health.

Methods: Five different brands of tobacco cigarettes commonly used in Pakistan— AF. Apple, AF. Gum, AF. Cherry, AF. Banana and AF. Rose —were selected for analysis. The samples were collected from local markets and prepared by oven drying for eight days. Each one-gram sample was digested using a mixture of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) through a wet digestion method. The digested samples were then analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS-5000, Perkin-Elmer Corp., 1980) to determine the concentrations of heavy metals. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, and significance was assessed using T-Test at a 0.05 significance level. The standard reference used for all heavy metal detections were Standard Reference Material (SRM 1570) from National Institute of Standard and Technology. The results were deviated in the range ±2% of the reported value.

Results: The mean concentrations of heavy metals in the tobacco samples were as follows: Cd (0.23 to 0.27 ±0.018), Cr (4.63 to 4.78 ± 0.071), Cu (14 to 17 ± 1.30), Co (0.35 to 0.40 ± 0.024), Mn (43 to 46.8 ± 1.48), Zn (35.1 to 40.2 ± 2.55), Fe (34.8 to 37.9 ± 1.44), Pb (1.20 to 1.37 ± 0.061) and Ni (4.00 to 4.39 ± 0.166).

Conclusion: This study provides the relevant data of tobacco shisha products for the all concerned departments. Highlighting that Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu) are toxic pollutants that negatively impact their health, alongside other harmful chemicals in shisha.