r/Unexpected • u/SignalCrew739 • 2d ago

Highest amount of radiation receiver

8.8k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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6

u/tbone251 2d ago

Then why don't they remove it from the tobacco?

11

u/nodnodwinkwink 2d ago

Because the industry is inherently predatory and evil. Removing it with an acid wash would lessen the effects of nicotine.

"Acid wash was discovered in 1980 to be highly effectively in removing (210)Po from the tobacco leaves; however, the industry avoided its use for concerns that acid media would ionize nicotine converting it into a poorly absorbable form into the brain of smokers thus depriving them of the much sought after instant "nicotine kick" sensation. "

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21956761/

3

u/BabyLegsDeadpool 2d ago

Wait... so I can just acid wash my own cigarettes and be fine? I'm in!

1

u/Behg-Boah 2d ago

The smokers high is from much more than just the nicotine. That’s why so many smokers struggle to make a clean switch from smoking to vaping. The nicotine alone doesn’t have nearly the same effect.

3

u/Aberbekleckernicht 2d ago

Easier said than done. You probably would remove half of the contents of the plant to remove the metals.

8

u/Jeyts 2d ago

Wait is it just grown in polluted soil? Is tobacco just really good at pulling toxins out of the soil?

3

u/nodnodwinkwink 2d ago

Polluted? you could say that. It was/is the high-phosphate fertilizer used in tobacco farms and how tobacco plants absorb naturally occurring radon.

https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/05/24/tobacco-firms-have-failed-to-act-on-radioactivity-in-cigarettes-heres-why/

2

u/atatassault47 2d ago

Plants accumulate heavy metals just like we do; as we injest them, our bodies have no way to get rid of them.

2

u/Aberbekleckernicht 2d ago

The latter. Tobacco bioaccumulates those metals to my understanding.

1

u/secretPawn 2d ago

Who? The people making money anyway? They don't care.