Cigarette Carcinogens Found In Urine Of Smokers' Babies

A team of researchers from The Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota detected cancer-causing compounds in the urine of babies who were in constant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

This finding supports the concept that persistent exposure to ETS can contribute to the development of cancer later in life.

They collected urine from 144 infants, aged 3 to 12 months, who lived in homes where at least one parent was a smoker.

Urine from 67 of these babies contained detectable amounts of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and its O-glucuronide (NNAL-Gluc), which are by-products produced when the body processes NNK (4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanone), a tobacco-specific potent carcinogen. NNAL is itself a lung carcinogen.

NNAL was detected in babies with family members who smoked an average of 76 cigarettes per week in the home or in the car. Where NNAL was not detected, family members smoked an average of 27 cigarettes per week.

Reference : "4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanol and its Glucuronides in the Urine of Infants Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke" Stephen S. Hecht, et al. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention (2006) 15:988-992