Quantification of Heavy Metals in the Nasal Turbines of Smokers and Nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoke is known to contain toxic heavy metals. In this study, heavy metal levels in the nasal turbinate tissues of smokers and nonsmokers were measured and compared with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

METHODS: Forty patients who come to the Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic due to nasal obstruction and are given an appointment for partial turbinate reduction operation due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy, according to their smoking status, were divided into two groups: those who had smoked one pack/day for at least 10 years and those who had never smoked. The levels of heavy metals (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, and Ag) were compared by ICP-MS in nasal turbinate tissues.

RESULTS: Al (p = 0.002), Cr (p < 0.001), Co (p < 0.001), Ni (p = 0.001), Cu (p < 0.001), As (p < 0.001), Se (p < 0.001), Ag (p < 0.001), Cd (p = 0.001), Ba (p = 0.008), Hg (p < 0.001), and Pb (p < 0.001) values in the smoker group were found to be significantly higher than the values of nonsmokers. Although the Mn level was high in smokers, no significant difference was observed (p = 0.299).

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking can cause nasal and sinus problems. In this study, we observed that the smoking group had significantly higher levels of almost all the heavy metals investigated in the nasal turbinate tissues. As smoking damages, the mucociliary system and the mucosa, heavy metals from cigarettes may accumulate further and cause harm to the nasal tissues.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.