E-cigarettes ‘create toxic cocktails of chemicals’
CHEMICALS in e- cigarettes mix together to form new toxic compounds, scientists have found.
Manufacturers claim e- cigarettes are safe as they vaporise chemicals that are chemically stable, say scientists.
But researchers have discovered new chemicals in e-liquids – the substances turned into vapour in e-cigarettes – which are formed when they are mixed in the products could be harmful to the body.
They looked at what happened when cells lining the bronchi – the main airways from the trachea to the lungs – were exposed to flavouring chemicals such as vanillin.
And the scientists also examined the effects of the new compounds that formed as a result of mixing the flavouring chemicals with solvents such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine.
‘We consistently observed that the new chemicals formed from the flavours and e-liquid solvents were more toxic than either of their parent compounds,’ Professor Sven-Eric Jordt, from Duke University, in the US, who led the team, said.
The new chemicals also activated sensory irritant receptors in nerve endings in
‘Kill off lung cells’
the bronchi, which are responsible for a range of inflammatory responses.
Professor Jordt told the European Respiratory Society International Congress: ‘[This] can increase the heart rate and, in predisposed people, can lead to an irregular heartbeat and higher blood pressure.
‘ It can also increase secretions in the nasal passages and throughout the lungs and airways, leading to coughing and breathing difficulties.’
The team showed that even low concentrations of the new chemicals caused the cells lining the bronchi to die.
‘This is the first demonstration that these new chemicals... can damage and kill lung cells,’ Professor Jordt said.
He said that manufacturers should list all the chemicals on their e-cigarette products – not only the original ones, but also those formed when the flavouring chemicals mix with the solvents and when the liquid is stored for any length of time.