The source is the good Doc himself - go to approx 1:25:05 for the relevant info
https://soundcloud.com/vp-live/smoke-free-radio-episode-3
Sorry, my fault in not being clear. 69% is the percentage of liquids in which Dr F found diacetyl, not the % of diacetyl found
So 109 out of 159 liquids contained it, in some as yet unspecified concentration, world-wide.
Thanks, you saved me from having to listen to the other show in which Dr. F. called in. Unfortunately there isn't much more info. than you reported because I thnk Dimitri wanted to talk about how the industry responded, and how vapers should respond. So we really don't know whether it's merely the presence of
any diacetyl or an amount that would exceed the tolerances. We can be sure, however, that this is going to be in every news outlet in America
...
"Dr.s study: E-cigarettes kill with more than cancer"
There is also another chemical which I believe I'm spelling correctly (I did some googling, because Dr. F. talks fast). Dimitri's volume wasn't up very high, so I had to slow it down and speed it up all the time. But here is what I have after a couple of listenings:
***
[1:24:32]
Dr. F:. Yeah, I think we are ready to report the preliminary results. We have received all results and will have done all testing. We tested 159 flavors in total, testing involved analysis for the presence of diecityl and acetyl propylene. Ah ... I think ... ah ... most vapers and most vendors know the issue of diacetyl, ah ... it was first mentioned in this industry since 2010 but unfortuantely there were a lot of companies who substituted diacetyl with acetyl propylene without knowing that ah ... some ... ah .. some animal studies have shown that acetyl propylene which is a similar substance to diacetyl, causes also similar lung problems ah .. in experimental animals ... at the same ... almost the same levels.
Dimitri: The same levels that we find in diacetyl we find with the substitute ingredient that was being used, um, especially after the big thread that happened back in 2010 on the ECF, correct?
Dr. F.: Yes, and in reality acetyl propylene is another substance that should
not be used in e-cigarettes. Ahh ...
now, we tested 159 samples from all over the world, a large number of vendors, both from several countries in Europe, and from the US, ahh, the results I can say were pretty disappointing --
Dimitri: [interrupting] yeah ... before we get into the results, we have to mention that the vendors that were used, were, ah, all the way from the Moms and Pops shops, all the way to some large companies - the large scale of e-liquid manufacturers that were tested as well -
Dr. F.: Yes, exactly, without a lot of large, big companies, big in size, and small-sized companies but ... so we-we tried to ... eh ... have a representative sample of whole industry, whole world-wide industry. So ah, [pause] the results I think were pretty disappointing. and ah, were worse than I was expecting. Ah, we found approximately 69% of the samples being positive for diacetyl
alone. Some of them also contained acetyl propylene, there were also some others which did not contain diacetyl but contained acetyl propylene, only. Ah,
moreover, we had several samples from companies who publicly declared that their liquids are diacetyl-free, and they came up positive.
Dimitri: So for example, you go on a web site for an e-liquid and this manufacturer has posted that 'our e-liquids are diacetyl-free' - however those samples tested for diacetyl and of course the other substance as well.
Dr. F.: Yes, and they came up postiive. Ah, now, ah ... I'm not accusing the vendors ... ah, I think there was a big mistake in the strategy. And this mistake started from 2010. Ah, the mistake was that when the issue of diacetyl came up in the e-cigarette business, every vendor just asked this flavoring supplier whether the liquid, their flavorings, had diacetyl or not. And they just accepted an oral response or a phone response that 'no, our flavorings are diacetyl-free'. They didn't ... ever ask for
proof that they are diaceytl-free, which means the result of testing
Dimitri: [indecipherable]
Dr. F.: Oh, no ... chemicials analysis, make sure that the liquid is diacetyl-free, and I think that was the problem, it's not that the vendors
knew that the liquids were -
Dimitri: right
Dr. F.: containing diacetyl, and just try to hide it, it's basically that the vendors didn't even know ...
Dimitri: And obviously the vendors didn't do the testing themselves, as well--
Dr. F.: Exactly -
Dimitri: --on the [indecipherable] they basically went on the word of the flavoring company, they didn't test it, the vendor themselves didn't test it [indecipherable]--
Dr. F.: Although in my opinion, I think that it's the job of the flavoring supplier to do the test. Ah ... the problem is that the ... ah ... the e-cigarette vendors are the ones who are marketing the products so at the end it's their responsibility to the consumers --
Dimitri: ultimately
[I gave up here because Dimitri was not consistently at the same volume and I had to keep showing it down and speeding it up because Dr. F. talks really fast and Dimitri fades in and out. There's nothing more about the results ... ended transcribing at 1:28:56 approx.]
Dr. F. says that we should not "create a panic," and the levels of these two chemicals post much less of a risk than smoking, but also that they are avoidable risks. He continues ...
"So although the risk is small, just because it's an avoidable risk, there is no reason to impose that small risk to the customers. Therefore what I can suggest to vendors is that they can either ask the flavoring suppliers to provide proof of the absence of diacetyl and acetyl propylene in the flavoring which means testing results -
not [just any] kind of response through a phone conversation or any conversation. That's not enough. If they cannot do that, and they cannot change the supplier with someone else who can do it, or wants to do it, then it's up to them, and it's their responsibilty to do the testing. But testing I think is
absolutly necessary because otherwise no one can be sure that the liquid will be diacetyl-free. And it is a substance that we already know it is toxic when inhaled, so there is no reason to impose that risk, even if the risk is lower than smoking. Still, it's a risk that can be avoided. And we should avoid it."
[later, also from Dr. F.:]
[Vapers] should ask the vendors to publically post the results of thesting and this is a good marketing benefit for vendors. [paraphrased]
1:27:35
