According to the CDC, substances found in vaping aerosol include:
- Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
- Flavoring like diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious, irreversible lung disease called obliterative bronchiolitis.
- So-called volatile organic compounds, or gases emitted into the air that may have adverse health effects.
- Cancer-causing chemicals.
What chemicals are in vape aerosol?
Also, toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ultrafine particles have been found in vape aerosol. These chemicals have big names, but what are they exactly?
What is the composition of e-cigarette aerosol?
^ E-cigarette aerosol is composed of droplets of e-liquids, which contain mainly propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, water, flavorings (if added to e-liquid), preservatives and also small amounts of by-products of thermal decomposition of some of these constituents.
What is the difference between a vapor and an aerosol?
In physics, a vapor is a substance in the gas phase whereas an aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid or both within a gas. The power output of the e-cigarette is correlated to the voltage and resistance ( P = V 2 / R, in watts ), which is one aspect that impacts the production and the amount of toxicants of e-cigarette vapors.
What are vape coils made of?
Those metal coils can be composed of a variety of substances, including an alloy of iron, chromium and aluminum called kanthal, or a combination of nickel and chromium. A Johns Hopkins study released in 2018 found those metals leach into vaping aerosol at dangerous levels.
What is aerosol in vaping?
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs.
What is vape vapor made of?
E-cigarettes, aka JUULs and vape pens, use a battery to heat up a special liquid into an aerosol that users inhale. It's not just harmless water vapor. The "e-juice" that fills the cartridges usually contains nicotine (which is extracted from tobacco), propylene glycol, flavorings and other chemicals.
How many chemicals are in the vape aerosol?
The vaping aerosols contained over 30 chemical compounds such as nicotine, nicotyrine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and acetol.
Is there aerosol in vape juice?
In fact, to get nitpicky about it, e-cigarettes don't produce a vapor at all, but an aerosol. This aerosol is made up of tiny particles, some of which may contain toxic chemicals that are created when the e-liquid in e-cigarettes is heated.
What are 5 negative effects of vaping?
The most commonly-reported adverse effects were throat/mouth irritation, headache, cough, and nausea, which tended to dissipate with continued use....Coughing, dry throat, headachescoughing.dry mouth and throat.shortness of breath.mouth and throat irritation.headaches.
Is vape worse than cigarettes?
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
What does propylene glycol do to your lungs?
Vaping propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine may lead to lung inflammation. Researchers have found that using e-cigarettes with the e-liquid refills containing propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG) may lead to inflammation of the lungs over a period of time.
Is it OK to inhale propylene glycol?
Propylene glycol (PG) is generally recognized as safe by oral, dermal or inhalation routes and has been a common ingredient in all American made tobacco cigarettes for seven decades (AAPHP website).
What is the harmful chemical in vaping?
The latest chemical of concern in regard to vaping-related lung injuries is vitamin E acetate, which was found in the lung fluid of each of the 29 patients recently sampled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What is the difference between vapor and aerosol?
A vapor is different from an aerosol. An aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both within a gas. In other words, vapor is the gaseous state of a specific substance, such as water, and there aren't that many other particles in it.
How do vapes create aerosol?
Electronic-cigarette (e-cig) devices use heat to produce an inhalable aerosol from a liquid (e-liquid) composed mainly of humectants, nicotine, and flavoring chemicals. The aerosol produced includes fine and ultrafine particles, and potentially nicotine and aldehydes, which can be harmful to human health.
Does propylene glycol cause popcorn lung?
New research shows that propylene glycol can also generate methylglyoxal, an alpha di-carbonyl compound recently shown to cause epithelial necrosis at even lower concentrations than diacetyl, the flavoring chemical associated with bronchiolitis obliterans ("Popcorn Lung").
What are the ingredients in e-cigarette vapor?
Low levels of isoprene, acetic acid, 2-butanodione, acetone, propanol, and diacetin, and traces of apple oil (3-methylbutyl-3-methylbutanoate) have been found in the e-cigarette vapor. Flavoring substances from roasted coffee beans have been found in the e-cigarette vapor.
What is the aerosol produced by an e-cigarette called?
The aerosol (mist) produced by an e-cigarette is commonly but inaccurately called vapor. E-cigarettes simulates the action of smoking, but without tobacco combustion. The e-cigarette aerosol looks like cigarette smoke to some extent. E-cigarettes do not produce aerosol between puffs.
How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette?
A 2016 review found "The nicotine contained in the aerosol from 13 puffs of an e-cigarette in which the nicotine concentration of the liquid is 18 mg per milliliter has been estimated to be similar to the amount in the smoke of a typical tobacco cigarette, which contains approximately 0.5 mg of nicotine.".
What is the replacement for propylene glycol in e-cigarettes?
In 2014, most e-cigarettes companies began to use water and glycerin as replacement for propylene glycol. In 2015, manufacturers attempted to reduce the formation of formaldehyde and metal substances of the e-cigarette vapor by producing an e-liquid in which propylene glycol is replaced by glycerin.
What are the materials used in e-cigarettes?
Other materials used are Pyrex glass rather than plastics and stainless steel rather than metal alloys.
What is an atomizer made of?
The atomizer contains metals and other parts where the liquid is kept, and an atomizer head is made of a wick and metal coil which heats the liquid. Due to this design, some metals potentially are found in the e-cigarette vapor. E-cigarette devices differ in the amount of metals in the e-cigarette vapor.
What is the voltage of e-cigarettes?
Propylene glycol and glycerin are oxidized to create aldehydes that are also found in cigarette smoke when e-liquids are heated and aerosolized at a voltage higher than 3 V. Depending on the heating temperature, the carcinogens in the e-cigarette aerosol may surpass the levels of cigarette smoke.
Instructions
Educators should download the lesson plan and activity materials which contains speakers' notes.
Purpose
1. To understand why the differences between vapor and aerosol are important.
Branching Out
Whether you have more teaching time or want to dive into similar topics to form a lesson, here are just a few options of other Toolkit curriculum items that you can use with this activity.
E-Cigarette Unit
This unit includes lessons and activities all related to the chemicals found in e-cigs/vapes.
YouTube Videos
Check out these relevant YouTube videos below, all related to this activity.
What are the effects of e-cigarettes?
Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not begun its review of any e-cigarette or its ingredients, nor has FDA issued any standards on the products, e-cigarette composition and effects vary. What researchers do know is that these toxic chemicals and metals have all been found in e-cigarettes: 1 Nicotine – a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development 2 Propylene glycol – a common additive in food; also used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke in fog machines 3 Carcinogens- chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde 4 Acrolein – a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds, can cause irreversible lung damage 5 Diacetyl – a chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans aka " popcorn lung " 6 Diethylene glycol – a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease 7 Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead 8 Cadmium – a toxic metal found in traditional cigarettes that causes breathing problems and disease 9 Benzene – a volatile organic compound (VOC) found in car exhaust 10 Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
What happens when e-liquid heats up?
Additionally, when the e-liquid heats up, more toxic chemicals are formed. Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not begun its review of any e-cigarette or its ingredients, nor has FDA issued any standards on the products, e-cigarette composition and effects vary. What researchers do know is that these toxic chemicals ...
What is the chemical used to kill weeds?
Diacetyl – a chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans aka " popcorn lung ". Diethylene glycol – a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease.
What are the chemicals that affect the brain?
Carcinogens- chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.
Does e-juice contain nicotine?
The "e-juice" that fills the cartridges usually contains nicotine (which is extracted from tobacco), propylene glycol, flavorings and other chemicals. Studies have found that even e-cigarettes claiming to be nicotine-free contain trace amounts of nicotine.
What is fog aerosol?
Foggy weather consists of an aerosol of liquid water droplets in the air in a stable state, so the cloud persists for a long time.
What is vapor in science?
But this can create confusion. Vapor (in the normal sense of the term) refers to the gas phase of something that is “normally” a liquid.
Why does the cloud of e-cigarettes disappear?
Also, under normal circumstances (e.g., pretty much anywhere other than a vape meet), the amount of the chemicals in gas phase in the air is low enough that the droplets will quickly evaporate. These are why the visible cloud of e-cigarette exhalate normally disappears quickly.
Is propylene glycol a hazard?
The presence of the liquid might still be a health hazard, of course (if it is propylene glycol, no problem; if it is gasoline, that could be a problem). But if there is a hazard, it is completely unaffected by the size of the particles that created the puddle.
Is e-cigarette vapor a liquid?
This means that e-cigarette “vapor” really does contain some vapor. But it is mostly in the liquid phase. That is, it is tiny little droplets of the liquid, suspended in the air. “Suspended” means that they are not in the gas phase, and thus part of the air, but are physically mixed with the air. That is the difference between dirt in water (little ...
Is smoke an aerosol?
Many definitions of “aerosol” include solid particles suspended in the air, not just liquid droplets. That is , smoke would also be called an aerosol (it contain s both liquid and solid bits suspended in the air). Thus, if we want to be very clear about what e-cigarettes produce, we should call it a liquid aerosol.
Is salt a vapor or a suspension?
That is the difference between dirt in water (little bits that are suspended) and salt dissolved in water (where it becomes part of the liquid). That suspension in air is called an aerosol, not a vapor. At this point, we still have some complications.
How do e-cigarettes produce aerosols?
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs.
What are the chemicals in e-cigarettes?
Cancer-causing chemicals. Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead 1. It is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. 2.
How many people use e-cigarettes in 2020?
E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. In the United States, youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes. In 2020, 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, including 4.7% of middle school students and 19.6% of high school students.
What does an e-cigarette look like?
Some e-cigarettes are made to look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some resemble pens, USB sticks, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or “mods,” do not resemble other tobacco products. Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping.”.
Can e-cigarettes cause injuries?
E-cigarettes can cause unintended injuries. 1. Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused fires and explosions, some of which have resulted in serious injuries. Most explosions happened when the e-cigarette batteries were being charged. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collects data to help address this issue.
Is e-cigarettes a quit aid?
E-cigarettes are not currently approved by the FDA as a quit smoking aid. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of health experts that makes recommendations about preventive health care, has concluded. external icon.
Overview
Composition
E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece, a cartridge (liquid storage area), a heating element/atomizer, a microprocessor, a battery, and some of them have a LED light at the tip. They are disposable or reusable devices. Disposable ones are not rechargeable and typically cannot be refilled with a liquid. There are a diverse range of disposable and reusable devices, resulting in broad variation…
Background
There is a debate on tobacco smoke compared with electronic cigarette vapor. Tobacco smoke is a complex, dynamic and reactive mixture containing around 5,000 chemicals. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed the vape aerosols of popular brands such as Juul and Vuse, and found "nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are unidentified." E-cigarette vapor contains many of the known harmful toxicants found in traditional cigarette smoke, such as form…
Comparison of levels of metals in e-cigarette aerosol
Abbreviations: EC, electronic cigarette; NM, not measured. ∗The findings are a comparison between e-cigarette daily usage and the regulatory limits of chronic Permissible Daily Exposure from inhalation medications outlined by the US Pharmacopeia for cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and nickel, the Minimal Risk Level outlined by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for manganese and the Recommended Exposure Limit outlined by the National Institute …
Chemical analysis of e-cigarette cartridges, solutions, and aerosol
Abbreviations: TSNA, tobacco specific nitrosoamines; LC-MS, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; MAO-A and B, monoamineoxidase A and B; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; GS-MS, gas chromatography – mass spectrometry; ICP-MS, inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry; CO, carbon monoxide, VOC, volatile organic compounds; UPLC-MS, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; HPLC-DAD-MMI-MS, high performanc…
Comparison of levels of toxicants in e-cigarette aerosol
Abbreviations: μg, microgram; ng, nanogram; ND, not detected. ∗Fifteen puffs were chosen to estimate the nicotine delivery of one traditional cigarette.
Each e-cigarette cartridge, which varies across manufacturers, and each cartridge produces 10 to 250 puffs of vapor. This correlates to 5 to 30 traditional cigarettes. A puff usually lasts for 3 to 4 seconds. A 2014 study found there is wide differences in daily puffs in experienced vapers, whic…
See also
• Adverse effects of electronic cigarettes
• List of additives in cigarettes
• List of cigarette smoke carcinogens
• Safety of electronic cigarettes
Bibliography
• McNeill, A; Brose, LS; Calder, R; Bauld, L; Robson, D (February 2018). "Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018" (PDF). UK: Public Health England. pp. 1–243.
• Stratton, Kathleen; Kwan, Leslie Y.; Eaton, David L. (January 2018). Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes (PDF). National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. National Academies Press. pp. 1–774. doi:10.17226/24952. ISBN 978-0-309-46834-3. PMID 29894118.