The ACSH institution (American Council on Science and Health ) relays information from this study:
No significant toxicity
A new report [1] published in the International Journal of Research and Public Health looked into vapors of electronic cigarettes to detect the presence of toxins and other mutagens. Researchers conducted various assays for genotoxicity, cytotoxycity and mutagenicity, aiming at determining how harmful are those products.
The authors of this study leaded by Dr. Manoj Misra (who worked with four of his co-authors for the Lorillard Tobacco Co. research laboratories in Greensboro, NC), also assayed the smoke of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (SLT), in addition to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for these same parameters (which also includes the quantification of the inflammatory reaction and cytotoxicity [cell death]).
“(…) the use of e-cigs is unlikely to raise serious health concerns, particularly in comparison to those that result from the smoking of conventional cigarettes”
The results reported non-detectable levels of toxins and mutagens etc. in the e-cigarettes effluent, in the NRT absorbates and the smokeless tobacco products. These results were obtained for the e-liquid and vapor with or without flavor or nicotine, and were approximately 6,000-fold less-potent than the studies on combustible cigarette smoke. At nicotine concentrations of about 20 mg/ml, no toxicological effects were detected, and the same applies for flavors.
The opinion of Dr. Gil Ross, ACSH: “As more and more science on the lack of harm expected from e-cigs and their vapor come pouring in, it will — I hope — become harder and harder for those who mindlessly or corruptly oppose this lifesaving technology to participate in their destructive chorus. Prior studies, by Drs. Farsalinos on heart cells, Goniewicz and Burstyn on chemicals in e-cig vapor (i.e. their minute quantities), as well as on the general safety of vaping, as e-cig use is called, will continue to accumulate and eventually overwhelm the nay-sayers — IF the regulators and politicians will permit it”.
Editor’s Note :
The reference material used to assess the toxicity of e- cigarettes is the commercial Blu, a product owned by Lorillard, and their Classic Tobacco and Magnificient Menthol e-liquids with both high and no nicotine.
References for tobacco burning cigarettes were the cigarettes Kentucky and Marlboro Gold. For the SLT products they used Marloboro Snus and Copenhagen Snuff, and for the NRT the Nicorette Lozenge.
This paper was part of aspecial issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601) for which Dr. Farsalinos was Guest Editor.
Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos warned the industry of e-cigarette at the first sitting Vapexpo. Tobacco companies know how to use the test and have the means to carry out studies to sustain their products on market in the best regulatory conditions. The industry of the independent e-cigarette (i.e. not affiliated with any tobacco or pharmaceutical industry) must at all costs invest time and money in research to survive the administrative rules that it will have to face very soon .
[1] Comparative In Vitro Toxicity Profile of Electronic and Tobacco Cigarettes, Smokeless Tobacco and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Products: E-Liquids, Extracts and Collected Aerosols – Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(11), 11325-11347; doi:10.3390/ijerph111111325
