E-cigarette vapor may contain hazardous metals

In the wake of popularity, electronic cigarettes have become an integral attribute of many people’s lives. Some consider them a worthy alternative to smoking, while others are afraid to switch to a new type of cigarette. Scientists from all over the world are conducting research to determine the impact of new items on humans. It is also important how passive smokers and children whose parents smoke suffer from cigarette vapor.

Hazardous metals in cigarette smoke

The alternative type of smoking quickly gained popularity. As for the composition of the smoking mixture or a substance that gives the impression of a full-fledged puff, then everything is not so simple with it. Heavy metals, like lead, have a detrimental effect on a person’s well-being. Experts from Bloomberg conducted additional research and found out that this substance may be present in an electronic cigarette. There was a study^[1] on fifty volunteers who daily smoked alternative cigarettes.

As a result, the subjects’ health worsened: problems were identified in the functioning of the lungs, heart and liver. Heating elements that produce steam with lead turned out to be dangerous. An additional analysis of the steam showed that nickel, manganese and chromium enter the human body with smoke. Researches show^[2]that the regular use of heavy metals increases the risk of diseases such as cancer or brain pathology.

How an electronic cigarette works

An electronic cigarette works on a simple principle: the battery generates a current that passes through the evaporator (made of metal) and heats it up. With an increase in the temperature of the metal elements, the prepared liquid evaporates – smoke is formed that directly enters the human lungs. The main substance that evaporates is nicotine with certain flavors. As a result, people inhale the vapor that mimics the puff of a real cigarette.

The main danger in this type of smoking is the additive. Liquid bottles are purchased separately and changed at regular intervals. The substance for vaping, in addition to nicotine, includes liquid elements that can contain up to 15 types of different metals. The tests carried out with the liquid showed that it is not the liquid itself that is toxic, but the vapor that is formed from it. The amount of harmful substances may differ: each liquid has its own indicator. In most cases, such additives exceed the permissible limits, and they significantly harm human health.

The design of the electronic cigarette

To create one electronic cigarette, you will need metal elements. For them, alloys of nickel, chromium and other heavy metals are used. A person who inhales steam regularly is constantly interacting with such substances. In addition to the obvious harm to health (internal organs), electronic cigarettes can provoke various allergic reactions (normal irritations and dermatitis).

Hidden e-cigarette additives

The popularity of the electronic device has led to numerous fakes that are easy to buy online or in a store. If the quality of certified products is easy to check, then fakes are fraught with an unknown danger. In the course of inspections (recent studies) it was found that more than a third of the products do not correspond to the composition declared on the packaging. Inhaling an unknown vapor, a person risks getting poisoned, harming the respiratory tract or eyes.

Damage to health in the long run

If the harm from smoking an e-cigarette is not immediately visible, how safe is it for long-term use? There is no exact confirmation of the harm that the device causes to each person. Scientists conduct general research with average data. These tests do not evaluate the response of a particular population to the resulting steam. Officially, an electronic device is not a tobacco product. Its purchase is not regulated by law. An electronic cigarette is not considered a medical product, although it was originally created as an alternative to tobacco products.

The composition of the liquid includes:

• glycerol;
• flavoring;
• propylene glycol.

All of these substances can cause an allergic reaction. The vapor generated is not a product of combustion, but it is inhaled and can affect the respiratory tract. Any additives accumulate and create allergic reactions that appear only after a while. For the formation of smoke, the so-called chemistry is used, the influence of which is difficult to predict.

Harm of passive smoking

Smoking threatens not only those who deliberately took up a cigarette, but also people who are close to the smoker. It can be children, pregnant women or the elderly – groups of people that are most susceptible to various diseases. Inhaling the vapors of an electronic device is also dangerous: if the smell of tobacco repels, the flavors of liquids attract. There is harm from them, but the desire to move away from the smoker no longer arises. At US online health news and information publisher WebMD^[3] argue that electronic cigarettes are dangerous because smoking with their help occurs without control.

Research Data

As Michael Joseph Blaha writes in his article^[4]When trying to quit one bad habit, a person gets addicted to another. Advertisement for a safer alternative is tempting, and it contains the main harm of the electronic device. A person relies on the manufacturer and does not check the composition of the liquid. For this reason, scientists have undertaken numerous studies to raise the sale of electronic cigarettes to a new level – to create certain quality standards for them.

One of the latest studies was carried out in order to find out the level of pollution of residential and public premises due to the generated steam. Not only the smoke index was considered, but also the increase in the temperature regime. The data obtained confirmed that the heating of the cartridge is minimal, and the propylene glycol released is a harmless additive. Cigarette smoke can harm a person’s health if they smoke in a small area for a long period of time.

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