Researcher Carsten Prasse stated that new findings indicate we know very little about the chemicals used in e-cigarettes.
A study conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins University (USA) published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology has found hundreds of unidentified chemicals in vape juice and e-cigarettes. The research details a range of unidentified chemicals, alongside a few known compounds that may be harmful.
Pollutants in traditional tobacco are significantly lower in e-cigarettes.
The lead author of the study, Carsten Prasse, explained: “The current research compares e-cigarettes to regular tobacco. It shows that pollutants in traditional tobacco are significantly lower in e-cigarettes. There are health risks that we are not yet aware of. More and more young people are using e-cigarettes, and they need to know what they are being exposed to.”
This is the first study that does not focus on all potential compounds found in vape juice and emissions by using high-resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The research team tested four popular flavored vape juices. At the same time, they studied emissions from four popular e-cigarette devices.
The study discovered nearly 2,000 different chemical compounds. Most of these compounds were unidentified. Scientists identified six potentially harmful compounds among them. These substances are linked to respiratory irritation, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and caffeine.
Mina Tehrani, a co-author of the study, noted that two of the four vape juices contained caffeine. Flavors like coffee or chocolate are known to contain caffeine. However, the tests only studied regular vape juice. This was a surprising finding for the scientists.
Another unexpected discovery in the study was the presence of condensed hydrocarbon-like compounds in the vape. These compounds are typically produced during combustion and continue to be generated during inhalation.
A similar recent study from Australia used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to analyze the chemical composition of 65 vape juices. The results showed that each sample studied contained at least one type of potentially harmful chemical.
These included benzaldehyde – a respiratory irritant and trans-cinnamaldehyde – an immune suppressant. This study also found traces of nicotine in six of the tested vape juices, despite these juices being marketed as nicotine-free.
Researcher Carsten Prasse remarked that the new findings indicate we know very little about the chemicals used in e-cigarettes. He emphasized that e-cigarettes should not be considered a “healthy” alternative to traditional tobacco.
