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Crocidolite Asbestos Fibers in Smoke from Original Kent Cigarettes¹

Materials Analytical Services, Inc., Norcross, Georgia 30092 [W. E. L., M. W. R.], and Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and St. Peter's Medical Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 [J. S.]

The original version of the Kent Micronite cigarette filter used crocidolite, a form of asbestos, from 1952 until at least mid-1956. Cigarettes from intact, unopened packs of the brand from this period were examined. One filter contained approximately 10 mg of crocidolite. Crocidolite structures were found in the mainstream smoke from the first two puffs of each cigarette smoked. At the observed rates of asbestos release, a person smoking a pack of these cigarettes each day would take in more than 131 million crocidolite structures longer than 5 µm in 1 year. These observations suggest that people who smoked the original version of this cigarette should be warned of their possible substantial exposure to crocidolite during the 1950s.

¹ This work was supported in part by Plaintiffs Action; the authors exercised full control over the design and execution of the study as well as the interpretation and reporting of the study results.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Materials Analytical Services, Inc., 3597 Parkway Lane, Suite 250, Norcross, GA 30092.

Received 3/ 3/95. Accepted 4/21/95.

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