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Toxins in e-cig vapor increase with heat and device use

Date:
July 27, 2016
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, have grown in popularity as an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking. But health experts and consumer advocates have raised concerns over their safety. Now scientists report new measurements of potentially toxic compounds in e-cigarette vapor and factors that affect these levels.
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Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, have grown in popularity as an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking. But health experts and consumer advocates have raised concerns over their safety. Now scientists report in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology new measurements of potentially toxic compounds in e-cigarette vapor and factors that affect these levels.

Hugo Destaillats and colleagues analyzed vapor from two different kinds of e-cig vaporizers filled with three different refill e-liquids. They identified several vapor components including glycidol -- which hadn't previously been identified in e-cig vapor -- formaldehyde and acrolein.

The World Health Organization categorizes glycidol as a probable carcinogen, and acrolein is a powerful irritant. Testing also showed that increasing the voltage and heat in a single-coil vaporizer (as opposed to one with a double-coil) triples the aldehyde emissions per puff and bumped up the acrolein levels by a factor of 10.

Additionally, the release of potentially toxic compounds increased with use. These compounds originate from thermal decomposition of propylene glycol and glycerin, two solvents used to formulate most e-liquids.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Mohamad Sleiman, Jennifer M. Logue, V. Nahuel Montesinos, Marion L. Russell, Marta I. Litter, Lara A. Gundel, Hugo Destaillats. Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes: Key Parameters Affecting the Release of Harmful Chemicals. Environmental Science & Technology, 2016; DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01741

Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "Toxins in e-cig vapor increase with heat and device use." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160727090350.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2016, July 27). Toxins in e-cig vapor increase with heat and device use. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 20, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160727090350.htm
American Chemical Society. "Toxins in e-cig vapor increase with heat and device use." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160727090350.htm (accessed November 20, 2024).

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