This technical report just came out, also very encouraging ( disclaimer- it was paid for by CASAA- Join!).
Key Conclusions:
Even when compared to workplace standards for involuntary exposures, and using several conservative (erring
on the side of caution) assumptions, the exposures from using e-cigarettes fall well below the threshold for
concern for compounds with known toxicity. That is, even ignoring the benefits of e-cigarette use and the fact
that the exposure is actively chosen, and even comparing to the levels that are considered unacceptable to
people who are not benefiting from the exposure and do not want it, the exposures would not generate concern
or call for remedial action.
Expressed concerns about nicotine only apply to vapers who do not wish to consume it; a voluntary (indeed,
intentional) exposure is very different from a contaminant.
There is no serious concern about the contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde,
acrolein, etc.) in the liquid or produced by heating. While these contaminants are present, they have been
detected at problematic levels only in a few studies that apparently were based on unrealistic levels of heating.
The frequently stated concern about contamination of the liquid by a nontrivial quantity of ethylene glycol or
diethylene glycol remains based on a single sample of an early technology product (and even this did not rise to
the level of health concern) and has not been replicated.
tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) are present in trace quantities and pose no more (likely much less) threat
to health than TSNAs from modern smokeless
tobacco products, which cause no measurable risk for cancer.
Contamination by metals is shown to be at similarly trivial levels that pose no health risk, and the alarmist claims
about such contamination are based on unrealistic assumptions about the molecular form of these elements.
The existing literature tends to overestimate the exposures and exaggerate their implications. This is partially
due to rhetoric, but also results from technical features. The most important is confusion of the concentration
in aerosol, which on its own tells us little about risk to heath, with the relevant and much smaller total exposure
to compounds in the aerosol averaged across all air inhaled in the course of a day. There is also clear bias in
previous reports in favor of isolated instances of highest level of chemical detected across multiple studies, such
that average exposure that can be calculated are higher than true value because they are missing all true
zeros.
Routine monitoring of liquid chemistry is easier and cheaper than assessment of aerosols. Combined with an
understanding of how the chemistry of the liquid affects the chemistry of the aerosol and insights into behavior
of vapers, this can serve as a useful tool to ensure the safety of e-cigarettes.
The only unintentional exposures (i.e., not the nicotine) that seem to rise to the level that they are worth further
research are the carrier chemicals themselves, propylene glycol and glycerin. This exposure is not known to
cause health problems, but the magnitude of the exposure is novel and thus is at the levels for concern based on
the lack of reassuring data.
http://publichealth.drexel.edu/SiteData/docs/ms08/f90349264250e603/ms08.pdf
