Second Hand Vap

[sit.happens]

Did a search on ecf, didn't find anything, ( or didn't look hard enough)
Just curious about 2nd hand vap. I used to smoke outside, since non-smokers in house didn't want 2nd hand smoke. fair enough.

If Im vaping 24mg nic ejuice all day in the house, my exhale both inhaled and from puffing, is water vapor from my understanding, But would what Im exhaling contain nicotine? Ie- water vapor laced with nicotine? or trace amounts?

My concern would be that I'm filling the house with trace amounts of nicotine laced moisture, and that non smokers with no nicotine addiction will get hooked on nicotine due to my indoor vaping?

I know the question sounds silly, but I need to justify it to a roommate who doesn't smoke or vap but is just a little concerned.

 

[ShannonS]

If you want pure science, I can't help you. The exhaled vapor hasn't been tested for nicotine content as far as I know.

The roommate would probably be far more at risk for absorbing nicotine from touching your ecig, juice bottles and your hands than from the vapor, honestly.

Or you could just tell roomie you are vaping zero nic juice <grin>

 

[t9c]

The Health New Zealand Report says this about the exhaled vapor (emphasis mine):

5. Safety of Ruyan® e-cigarette ‘smoke’ for bystanders.
Method. Analysis of published data on nicotine absorption, and informal comments of
bystanders, and observation of e-cigarette smoking indoors.
Results. Cigarette smoke is a mixture of sidestream smoke and exhaled mainstream
smoke. In constrast, the e-cigarette generates no sidestream smoke from its (artificially
lit) tip. Any exhaled PG mist visibly dissipates to vapor within seconds. Non-smoking
bystanders do not find the mist unpleasant. The mist is odorless, and those close by
quickly realize it does not have the odor of smoke or the irritating quality of tobacco
cigarette smoke.
Comments. Inhaled nicotine in cigarette smoke is over 98% absorbed 6, and so the
exhaled mist of the e-cigarette is composed of propylene glycol, and probably contains
almost no nicotine; and no CO. (see Figure 3.5) Lacking any active ingredient or any
gaseous products of combustion, the PG mist or ‘smoke’ is not harmful to bystanders.
The ‘smoke’ or mist is not tobacco smoke, and not from combustion – no flame is lit –
and is not defined as environmental tobacco smoke. E-cigarette “smoking” would be
permitted under New Zealand’s Smoke-free Environments Act 1990.33

 

[angry-amy]

this is a good question. i was wondering the same thing recently.

 

[Sdh]

I personally would not be worried about the nicotine itself. It would be the pg/vg residual I have concerns with. Check out an msds sheet related to pg and or vg.

I am having a hard time believing the odorless/no harm to non vapors. Both my hubby and son are complaining on the vapor residual hanging in the air. In addition to that..they are coughing/gagging since cold weather is here in Wisconsin.

I am going to buy some air purifiers for the house. BTW I never smoked in the house...now I vape.

Note! The above is classified as my opinion and personal experience. Just wanted to clarify my response...

 

[rothenbj]

I just checked, there are 47,000 registered users on this site. The Indoor Vapor Air Quality Study would go a long way to determining exactly what you're wondering. The estimates are that it will cost about $75k to get this published and the money raising efforts have gone on for months. Two bucks a member and this could have been funded long ago. I believe the goal is less than half way there.

If you go to the website, there's a donate button to make contributions. Below it there is a link to a raffle held every month or so with all contributions going to IVAQS and donated PV items either raffled off or bid on. Fun for a good cause. The December raffle is over, but look for the next one and keep the money growing.

 

[jamie]

I am having a hard time believing the odorless/no harm to non vapors. Both my hubby and son are complaining on the vapor residual hanging in the air. In addition to that..they are coughing/gagging since cold weather is here in Wisconsin. I am going to buy some air purifiers for the house.

Noting the "since cold weather is here", which results in much dryer air. Dryer air can cause coughing. Glycol vapor is also drying.

 

[sit.happens]

All good points,
Ya Im going to donate to the Indoor Vapor Air Quality Study. Seems like a smart idea. The more published investigative reports the better I figure!

 

[Sdh]

Noting the "since cold weather is here", which results in much dryer air. Dryer air can cause coughing. Glycol vapor is also drying.

I have humidifiers in the house. Sorry but my family are the test subjects. In winter I don't open windows and the air doesnt circulate. I am off to buy a air purification unit.

 

[jj2]

Well, when the folks around here are sick, I tend to vape more just to protect myself.
The link pretty much covers PG although VG doesn't do much when it comes to voiding the air of germs.
Propylene Glycol -PG- Kills Germs? | Electronic Cigarette News

There's also the possibility of nicotine getting into the air, but I don't really think much does. Kind of like I don't think I'm breathing in caffeine when I'm in a room where there is a coffee pot brewing

 

[rolygate]

No one knows what is in 2nd-hand vapor because it has never been tested. This is why we should try to donate to the IVAQS study if possible. The only information that seems to exist is Laugesen's comment quoted above, that it ".....is composed of propylene glycol, and probably contains almost no nicotine.....".

I don't think this can be strictly accurate, since there must be some water content (and flavoring). His comment was made 'in passing', though, and not as a result of analysis. And of course it won't apply anyway if the carrier liquid is VG or PEG. However, this comment, made by someone who can reasonably be expected to know what he is talking about, makes it a little difficult to describe e-cig vapor as "it's steam", or even as the commonly-seen "it's just water vapor". In fact we don't allow Suppliers to use that description because (a) it can't possibly be true, and (b) the only comment on the issue by a respected researcher is that it consists (mostly) of PG.