21.10.2026 09:40
In an international study led by Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu of Çukurova University, microplastics were found in the tobacco of 83 of 88 cigarette varieties collected from 18 countries. An average of 7.2 plastic particles were detected per gram of tobacco, while Turkey ranked second after Bosnia and Herzegovina with 19 particles per gram.
In ADANA, an international study conducted by Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu of Çukurova University (ÇU) investigated plastic contamination in cigarette tobacco. Gündoğdu, who stated that they detected microplastics in 83 of 88 different cigarette brands from 18 countries, said, “This means being exposed to cigarettes containing microplastics in 9 out of every 10 packs. An average of 7.2 plastic particles were found per gram of tobacco.”
Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu, a faculty member at ÇU’s Faculty of Fisheries, conducted an international study with researchers from Karadeniz Technical University and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in Rize to investigate microplastic contamination in cigarette tobacco. The tobaccos of 88 different cigarette brands collected through volunteers from Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom were analyzed.
In the examination carried out with microscopes and advanced analysis techniques, microplastics were detected in 83 of the 88 samples from different countries. A total of 988 plastic particles were counted in the study, and an average of 7.2 particles were found per gram of tobacco. Whereas the relationship between cigarettes and plastic pollution had previously always been studied on filters, this time it was done directly on tobacco for the first time, and the study was published in Environmental Pollution, one of the most important journals in the field of environmental pollution.
THE TOBACCO ITSELF WAS EXAMINED FOR THE FIRST TIME
Sharing the results of the study, Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu said, “Until today, the plastic problem in cigarettes has always been discussed through the filter. For the first time, we looked at the tobacco itself that the smoker burns. We examined the foreign particles in the tobacco using both microscopes and advanced analysis techniques. We found microplastics in the tobacco of 83 of the 88 different cigarette brands collected from these 18 countries. This means being exposed to cigarettes containing microplastics in 9 out of every 10 packs. We found an average of 7.2 plastic particles per gram of tobacco. In total, we counted 988 plastic particles.”
Prof. Dr. Gündoğdu, who said the study showed that the types of plastic most commonly used in daily life are also found in cigarettes, said, “Polypropylene comes first among these. The three most commonly found plastics were polyethylene, used in packaging, at 37.3 percent; polypropylene, used in sacks, synthetic fabric, and again in packaging, at 23.6 percent; and PET/polyester, used in plastic bottles and polyester fabric, at 22.6 percent. Smaller amounts of nylon, polycarbonate, acrylic, Plexiglas (PMMA), and PVC were also found.”
TÜRKİYE IN SECOND PLACE
Speaking about the distribution of microplastic contamination in tobacco by country, Gündoğdu said, “When we made a ranking in terms of amount here, we found the highest in Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30 microplastics per gram of cigarette tobacco. Türkiye ranked second with 19 microplastics per gram of cigarette tobacco. Finland, Montenegro, Sweden, and Latvia followed, respectively. Tobacco is often dried in the open, in the sun. It is then packaged and put into sacks. The sacks and the tarpaulins used for drying are mostly PVC and polypropylene. We think that these plastics get mixed into the tobacco during their opening and closing, collection, and the drying stage.”
BURNING PLASTIC TURNS INTO TOXIC GAS
Emphasizing that, in addition to the harm of the cigarette itself, the toxic gases released by the burning of plastic material also create an additional toxic effect in terms of health, Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu said, “The smoker also burns the plastic in the tobacco. The temperature at the burning end of a cigarette rises to between 600 and 900 degrees Celsius. This temperature is enough to break down plastics and turn them into harmful gases. Various toxic chemicals are released. Therefore, in addition to the harm of the cigarette itself, the smoker is also exposed to the toxic gases produced by these plastics burning. At this point, quitting or reducing smoking would be an important precaution for users. For lawmakers, too, some measures need to be taken to eliminate plastic from the conditions during cigarette production.”