A little background information to accredit myself a little bit I am a Manufacturing Engineering student with a minor in Materials Science. I am not a doctor, propylene glycol expert, or claim to know more than anyone else. I just want to point out a few observations to the uninformed and people who maybe worried about having PG in there e-liquid.
So I got in a discussion at the bar last night with one of those uneducated guys that thinks he is smarter than everyone and is an expert on a topic just because he read or heard something by someone with a Ph.D. To be honest this was not the first time someone has talked with me concerned with the ingredients in what I am vaping on. I always just truthfully reassure the person that my e-juice contains VG found in fog machines, PG found in asthma inhalers, nicotine, and flavoring (they usually have no problem with it). This was the first time that I had to deal with a stubborn person that just wanted to argue though. He made the argument that because PG is used in antifreeze ecigs are no better for you.
Some facts about propylene glycol:
Propylene Glycol is used in antifreeze
Propylene Glycol is used in paint
Propylene Glycol is a solvent
Does this automatically mean PG is toxic? NO!
Propylene Glycol is used in some toxic chemicals (antifreeze, paint, etc) because of its solvent and other properties. This in no way means that PG itself is toxic. Actually just the opposite is true (PG is very low to not toxic) when you look at the studies that have been done.
Lets look at water (dihydrogen monoxide) for example.
Some facts about water:
Water is used in polyurethane
Water is used in household ammonia
Water is a solvent
Water is essential to life and it is not toxic
Water is used in some toxic chemicals (ammonia, paint, polyurethane, etc) because of its solvent properties.
We drink water and inhale water vapor everyday. We never stop and say, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't drink this glass of water because it is used in ammonia and it's a solvent." That's because it isn't the water that is toxic, it's the other chemical(s) that are dissolved in it that are toxic. It's the same concept as with the propylene glycol.
Propylene glycol is also used in asthma inhalers, numerous other pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.
It is also approved by the U.S. FDA for certain indirect food additive uses.
In my honest opinion *not science based* propylene glycol is not dangerous.
I think propylene glycol is getting so much flack because it is now being used in a tobacco substitute and nicotine delivery system. So tobacco corporations and the government (government agencies like the FDA) are only giving the general population misinterpretable information (like the initial facts I listed about PG) on the ingredients used in e-juice. I believe they are doing this because they are not technically lying, want to get the non-smoking population on their side for law making, and if they take away the benefit of vaping indoors less people may switch from cigarettes to vaping.
Here is some light reading that supports my post (links will take you to the page, no searching needed):
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry -Government agency
DOW - A lot of information here, feel free to go to the health portions.
Health.com - Weird facts
Hope this information can help correct very common misconceptions around PG (propylene glycol).
So I got in a discussion at the bar last night with one of those uneducated guys that thinks he is smarter than everyone and is an expert on a topic just because he read or heard something by someone with a Ph.D. To be honest this was not the first time someone has talked with me concerned with the ingredients in what I am vaping on. I always just truthfully reassure the person that my e-juice contains VG found in fog machines, PG found in asthma inhalers, nicotine, and flavoring (they usually have no problem with it). This was the first time that I had to deal with a stubborn person that just wanted to argue though. He made the argument that because PG is used in antifreeze ecigs are no better for you.
Some facts about propylene glycol:
Propylene Glycol is used in antifreeze
Propylene Glycol is used in paint
Propylene Glycol is a solvent
Does this automatically mean PG is toxic? NO!
Propylene Glycol is used in some toxic chemicals (antifreeze, paint, etc) because of its solvent and other properties. This in no way means that PG itself is toxic. Actually just the opposite is true (PG is very low to not toxic) when you look at the studies that have been done.
Lets look at water (dihydrogen monoxide) for example.
Some facts about water:
Water is used in polyurethane
Water is used in household ammonia
Water is a solvent
Water is essential to life and it is not toxic
Water is used in some toxic chemicals (ammonia, paint, polyurethane, etc) because of its solvent properties.
We drink water and inhale water vapor everyday. We never stop and say, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't drink this glass of water because it is used in ammonia and it's a solvent." That's because it isn't the water that is toxic, it's the other chemical(s) that are dissolved in it that are toxic. It's the same concept as with the propylene glycol.
Propylene glycol is also used in asthma inhalers, numerous other pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.
It is also approved by the U.S. FDA for certain indirect food additive uses.
In my honest opinion *not science based* propylene glycol is not dangerous.
I think propylene glycol is getting so much flack because it is now being used in a tobacco substitute and nicotine delivery system. So tobacco corporations and the government (government agencies like the FDA) are only giving the general population misinterpretable information (like the initial facts I listed about PG) on the ingredients used in e-juice. I believe they are doing this because they are not technically lying, want to get the non-smoking population on their side for law making, and if they take away the benefit of vaping indoors less people may switch from cigarettes to vaping.
Here is some light reading that supports my post (links will take you to the page, no searching needed):
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry -Government agency
DOW - A lot of information here, feel free to go to the health portions.
Health.com - Weird facts
Hope this information can help correct very common misconceptions around PG (propylene glycol).
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