Toxicity Assessment of Refill Liquids for Electronic Cigarettes

[Painter_]

Dr. F and others released this study today. Sorry for the quick post, I just came across this on my way out the door.

IJERPH | Free Full-Text | Toxicity Assessment of Refill Liquids for Electronic Cigarettes


Abstract: We analyzed 42 models from 14 brands of refill liquids for e-cigarettes for the
presence of micro-organisms, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, hydrocarbons, ethanol,
aldehydes, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and solvents. All the liquids under scrutiny
complied with norms for the absence of yeast, mold, aerobic microbes, Staphylococcus aureus,
and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol and ethanol were detected,
but remained within limits authorized for food and pharmaceutical products. Terpenic
compounds and aldehydes were found in the products, in particular formaldehyde and
acrolein. No sample contained nitrosamines at levels above the limit of detection (1 μg/g).
Residual solvents such as 1,3-butadiene, cyclohexane and acetone, to name a few, were
found in some products. None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of
potentially toxic compounds. However, for products other than nicotine, the oral acute
toxicity of the e-liquids tested seems to be of minor concern. However, a minority of liquids,
especially those with flavorings, showed particularly high ranges of chemicals, causing
concerns about their potential toxicity in case of chronic oral exposure.


Conclusions
None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of potentially toxic compounds. As this new
market has developed largely outside an appropriate regulatory framework, some manufacturers and
vendors apparently lack the adequate know-how about safety.

 

[DrMA]

Nice find, thanks for posting

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Hmm At a glance thru the article Johnson Creek seemed to have higher than average bad contents.....
Again at a glance, I downloaded the PDF and will study it closer.

also this study seemed to focus on tobacco flavors.
Have to wonder how other flavors fare.

Good stuff though thanks for the info.

 

[drksideken]

This is the kind of useful information that is needed. Now, maybe some of the bigger juice companies can start to innovate in the right direction in figuring out ways to combat some of the issues concerning e liquid safety. Ways to make flavoring safer among others.

 

[redddog]

Agreed that this is highly useful data but also less than thrilled about the results. This will fuel regulationists beyond the point of reason and give the anti's more than enough to pound the table.

If this is used to appropriately regulate and innovate methods that lead to a reduction in these harmful elements in liquids, that'd be great. What's certain is that this will finally end the "there's only 4 things in e-liquid" debate that some vapers erroneously engage in.

I really hope that these data are used for good but my fear is that they won't be. Rather, it will be used not to fix the issue but to eliminate the entire discussion.

At best, it's a regulatory beginning that will benefit us all because at present, e-liquid isn't safe enough. At worst, it's a science-based aguement that anti's will use to finally prove that e-liquid isn't safe period.

I hope my wife doesn't see this.

 

[caramel]

It doesn't matter. The ANTZ want to keep themselves busy, nothing else matters. So they laid down an impossible target (total smoking eradication) as to make sure they can never get there (and become unemployed).

A little googling around for the history of "safer cigarettes" will show you that BT has for a long time tried to develop such, and even had some important breakthroughs (e.g. Ligget's XA Project), however their efforts were thwarted every single time by the ANTZ, who claimed they were just deceptions and machinations of the devil, and also threatened to sue (based on "if you introduce *safer* cigarettes then you admit the old ones are not and we will sue you for the old ones based on this admission").

The plot culminated with tobacco getting under FDA's umbrella, where all products are frozen in time and no modification /new product is possible.

Which suggest that ANTZ always feared that BT, left to go this route, not to mention encouraged, could eventually come up with an acceptably safe product and all ANTZ would be out of a job. So they fought tooth and nail to keep cigarettes as dangerous as possible.

Just think what would have meant if BT was allowed to reduce the "bad stuff" with just 50% (a reasonably feasible target). So many smokers in the "heavy" and high risk category would had now fallen in the "light smoker" category. And would have lived many more years.

If you don't think one could cut emissions of something burning by 50% or more over several decades, check the auto industry.

 

[skoony]

let me see if i got this.
they found nothing growing in the juice.
every thing else was at acceptable safety levels
other than some with flavorings that caused concern
about "potential toxicity do to "chronic" oral exposure".
ANTZ conclusion, see we told you this was very dangerous
and deadlier than smoking.
it all makes sense now.

mike

 

[Jingles]

I am still trying to wrap my head around how a chemical or flavoring going into my lungs is anymore dangerous than that very same chemical going into my stomach. I know that there are digestive enzymes in the stomach that might break down those chemicals or not. I also know that I exhale those chemicals, at least some of them, when I vape. Let's say the ones that don't get broken down in digestion or exhaled get into my bloodstream. What is the difference? It's still the same chemicals in my one bloodstream.

 

[mauricem00]

great article. fortunately we have companies like FA who do research on vaping and work to make flavors that are safe. I make my own juice and found that the PG sold by vape supply companies is not recommended for fog machines however the PG sold by fog machine companies have only 20% of the impurities found in usp kosher grade PG.is considered safe for inhalation exposure and it is a little less expensive from these companies. commercial juice makers and their suppliers do need to work a little harder to make their products as safe as possible.as a DIYer I do my homework and try to make my juice as safe as possible

 

[DC2]

Now, maybe some of the bigger juice companies can start to innovate in the right direction in figuring out ways to combat some of the issues concerning e liquid safety. Ways to make flavoring safer among others.

At best, it's a regulatory beginning that will benefit us all because at present, e-liquid isn't safe enough.

I'm confused, but I thought the results showed that the liquids WERE safe.
Maybe I read it wrong?

 

[redddog]

None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of potentially toxic compounds. As this new
market has developed largely outside an appropriate regulatory framework, some manufacturers and
vendors apparently lack the adequate know-how about safety.

This is what I saw...

 

[Lessifer]

This is good information to have. It does make me wonder where the DEG is coming from, even though it's at such low levels. I think this is only part of the puzzle though. Any "conclusions" are made using oral ingestion standards. What we need are inhalation standards, though I assume it will be a long time before we have these.

Also, Dr. F's conclusion, seems a bit assumptive to me...

 

[Katya]

Thanks, Painter.

I'm not surprised. This study only confirms what we have always suspected and discussed here for years--namely, that flavorings, sweeteners, colorings and other additives to our eliquids may be problematic.

We need more studies and more discussion about what those findings really mean--in real life.

What the ANTZ and the FDA will do with those findings is a different matter altogether. They have made their ANTZ minds a long time ago. They are going to do what they are going to do--for them it's all about the revenue, not our health, so I'm not concerned at all.

 

[DC2]

It does make me wonder where the DEG is coming from, even though it's at such low levels.

I believe DEG is a common contaminant in glycerin.
It's been many years since we discussed DEG around here, and I don't remember the details.


I believe that 1% is the amount of DEG allowed by the FDA.
It used to be a bit higher, but they recently lowered it.

 

[Lessifer]

I believe DEG is a common contaminant in glycerin.
It's been many years since we discussed DEG around here, and I don't remember the details.


I believe that 1% is the amount of DEG allowed by the FDA.
It used to be a bit higher, but they recently lowered it.

Yeah, I had to look it up and read up on it. So it's already highly tested for in the constituent ingredients, but traces can make it through. I don't recall ever seeing it present in the vapor, so maybe by that point it's so little as to be undetectable.

Again, this is good info to have, but I think these are just the first steps down a long road of inhalation studies.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Agreed Lessifer. We need good information so we can as consumers make informed decisions on which juice to vape, etc or even not to vape if that is our choice.
I also support full labeling on ejuice.
Heck some do not even tell you the % VG/PG.

 

[Lessifer]

Agreed Lessifer. We need good information so we can as consumers make informed decisions on which juice to vape, etc or even not to vape if that is our choice.
I also support full labeling on ejuice.
Heck some do not even tell you the % VG/PG.

Most juices already have "full labeling" which at this point is vg, pg, nicotine, natural and artificial flavoring. I'm not sure I want to require more than that. Would I like to see it? Yes, but I don't think it needs to be mandated. At this point it wouldn't even really be helpful. We need to know exactly what flavorings have what effects, and at what concentrations, and none of that info is available now. If regulations come down too hard, it never will be. I'm willing to accept some risks, to continue doing something that I enjoy that also happens to keep me from wanting to smoke.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

I would like to see any artificial sweetner, etc and also any allergy info such as peanuts.

I cannot tolerate artificial sweetners.
Caused me to blow about $50 on ejuice I could not vape.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Any substance can be toxic above a certain level. Is what we are seeing here a refection of the ability to measure minute quantities, or are we seeing a true probability of harm? I think snow skiing has a higher probability of bodily harm than reading a book. Where are the anti-skiers?

Regulation keeps people employed and not necessarily in a highly productive manner. In some cases, industry coalitions server merely as form of privatized regulation. Have you noticed $1/ml juice popping up all over the place? (We've only just begun...)

An alternative to government regulation or industry coalitions could be an entity such as the Consumer Products Safety Commission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Consumer_Product_Safety_Commission Perhaps a similar operation would serve e cig consumers and the public better than the FDA or industry coalitions.

 

[sofarsogood]

I read pretty much the whole paper. Lots of it I don't understand. One of the questions I've asked is where are the reports of physicians treating people with illness caused by vaping? Dr Farsalinos is a vaper so another question could be, what precautions does he take given his more detailed knowledge of the issue. We should ask him what he vapes.