Smoking one pack of cigarettes a day exposes your lungs to the same radiation as 300 chest X-rays every year.

Tobacco plants naturally absorb radioactive elements from the soil and phosphate fertilizers used in commercial farming. Specifically, isotopes like polonium-210 and lead-210 attach to the sticky hairs on tobacco leaves. These elements are alpha-emitters, which are particularly damaging when they enter the human body through inhalation.When a cigarette is lit, these radioactive particles are vaporized and inhaled directly into the lungs. Once inside, they settle in the 'hot spots' of the bronchial tree, where they can remain for years due to their long half-lives. This creates a localized, high-dose source of radiation that constantly bombards lung tissue.Research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the EPA indicates that a pack-a-day smoker receives an annual radiation dose of about 160 mSv. For comparison, a standard chest X-ray delivers roughly 0.1 mSv. This means the cumulative yearly dose for a heavy smoker is equivalent to hundreds of medical X-rays.The health implications are severe because alpha radiation is highly effective at breaking DNA strands. This genetic damage is a primary driver of malignant cell transformation and tumor growth. Surprisingly, the radiation dose for a smoker often exceeds the 50 mSv annual occupational limit set for nuclear power plant workers by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.