A health warning to cartomizer users

[KiloWatts]

Alright, I'm not here to troll, but I believe this ought to be said.

I am convinced that cartomizers, when left sitting for a period of time, can accumulate bacteria and/or other undesirable things. I say this because I've caught a vicious cold twice now, and I'm normally pretty resilient to such things. Having used clear cartomizers, I've seen the yuckiness that can accumulate inside. It makes sense that this could be a favorable environment for harboring germs.

If you use cartomizers and like to stretch out their lifespans, protect them with a condom! Or put 'em in the fridge. Or keep the space clean. Furthermore, don't share with others! I'd venture to say someone who's sick would be able to contaminate a cartomizer pretty easily.

Okay, feel free to disagree, but I believe this is a pretty sensible piece of advice.

 

[meems]

But a cold is a virus & not bacterial...now if you had a bacterial infection..maybe?

 

[keyzygirl]

Isnt PG an antibacterial?

 

[FunkyVapes]

Interesting hypothesis. I think this is another reason why ecigs and supplies need to be properly classified and tested thoroughly to ensure safe vaping and a positive public image. Until then, it looks like we're on our own to speculate.

 

[KiloWatts]

Well it could've been a combination of the two. I was pretty darn sick, and there was some respiratory infection going on. I don't have health insurance, so I just rode it out.

 

[six]

PG and VG are both anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. PG is also anti-septic and anti-fungal. Neither is anti-viral, so remember to clean your drip tips and all of your other equipment regularly just like you would your kitchen utensils.

 

[KiloWatts]

@keyzygirl - I was having the same thought all the way through. "If I vape, the PG will surely kill any bacteria in my lungs, right?" I don't really know. It was super hard to vape due to the sore throat.

There's a chance e-juice could harbor viruses, and not bacteria. Or the other way around. Or maybe the PG isn't strong enough to have any effect on bacteria. I don't know. What I DO know is that cartomizers look like a petri-dish waiting to happen after a couple refills.

 

[Cronus6]

Are you using PG or VG?

I ask because of this study . Also discussed here : Medicine: Air Germicide - TIME

Basically it seems that PG vapor "may prevent pneumonia, influenza, and other respiratory diseases".

Edit : damn you guys are fast...

 

[hairball]

If you use PG based liquids, I don't see how bacteria can grow since it is actually an anti-microbial. Since vaping, I always have a bunch of filled cartos. I keep about 25 filled with their caps on so if I'm in a hurry, I can just grab a couple and go. I haven't been sick at all using any of them. Some have been filled for over a month.

 

[hairball]

Also, if you use VG based liquids, I would think that the nicotine would kill any bacteria that would try to grow (I may be wrong about this so someone please correct me if I am). I've had some all VG based juices for 6 moths and haven't had any turn bad on me.

You said that you saw the "yuckiness" in clear carto's. Heat will cause this to happen. It can't be prevented but it doesn't mean that it has gone bad.

 

[cozzicon]

Here's an actual study on the anti-microbial effects of nicotine

It is anti-microbial but not apparently universally.

http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/content/49/7/675.full.pdf

 

[MagnusEunson]

Why are we looking for a virus or bacteria born in the nicquid or the cartomizers? I think we should look at this in light of Occam's razor.. you're inhaling and exhaling additional moisture, you've still got the issue of nicotine and cilia..

I've got to doubt this is born from the cartomizer or the nicquids. It just seems like it'd be a natural side-effect of additional moisture in your airways building up. Like (I think it's called) idiopathic pneumonia.

Either way proper storage of cartomisers is just good business. -Magnus

 

[KiloWatts]

Okay, so if we agree that bacteria can no way, no how grow in PG, then we'll have to look at the virus. Mine was most definitely a virus, considering it only took about 4 hours to get from baseline to full fledged illness. It was over in 2 days also.

One of my friends was over the previous night and mentioned his daughter had recently caught a cold with a horrendous fever. He seemed to be fine, but we did share my Reo for a while. I didn't make the connection with his daughter until later, but there's a chance it was passed to me through the e-cig. It may sound like I'm blaming the e-cig for my failure to protect myself from a virus, but my concern goes beyond that.

What we need is an experiment to truly see if anything can live in e-juice. And we need to nail down the anti-microbial properties of PG to dosage. For instance, bacteria may be able to thrive in PG at a certain temperature, and not beyond. There are a number of factors.

 

[mistinthewoods]

I could look up a bunch of clinical references and waste a bunch of time on researching this hypothesis ......... but I don't feel like it.
Been suckin' cartos for a year. I keep 'em around for an average of a week each. Haven't been sick. Not worried.

People get sick sometimes. Have you touched anything besides your PV in the last week or two?

 

[KiloWatts]

Edited the thread title to decrease sensationalism

 

[MagnusEunson]

BTW, check your air system for mold. Sudden onsets of repeated illness is one sign. -Magnus

 

[cozzicon]

People get sick sometimes. Have you touched anything besides your PV in the last week or two?

No. And I'm sticky with that story

 

[hairball]

Here's an actual study on the anti-microbial effects of nicotine

It is anti-microbial but not apparently universally.

http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/content/49/7/675.full.pdf

Thanks cozzicon for the link. I was always curious about this.

 

[Diablo]

Getting a virus in your cartos would seem a bit hard to do. Viruses are not as widespread in the air as bacteria would be(at least not the kind that gets human sick). You would need to be in close proximity to somebody that has the virus or share and or touch something they used. There maybe some viruses that can be widespread even if your locked up in your own house, but its probably some bio warfare technology. If its bacteria then the PG would kill it and probably the nicotine as well.

I have about 12 cartos going some are 2-3 weeks old with liquid in them and just the white cap on and have not had any problems at all.

 

[KiloWatts]

Hmm, just talked to my friend, and he clarified that his daughter didn't have a cold, but just a sudden fever that lasted a few hours. Still not totally off the table, but I could've caught it elsewhere.