| Title: | Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes |
| Author(s): | Goniewicz ML; Knysak J; Gawron M; Kosmider L; Sobczak A; Kurek J; Prokopowicz A; Jablonska-Czapla M; Rosik-Dulewska C; Havel C; Jacob P; Benowitz N; |
| Address: | "Department of Health Behavior, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, , Buffalo, New York, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050859 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1468-3318 (Electronic) 0964-4563 (Print) 0964-4563 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "SIGNIFICANCE: Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are devices designed to imitate regular cigarettes and deliver nicotine via inhalation without combusting tobacco. They are purported to deliver nicotine without other toxicants and to be a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. However, little toxicity testing has been performed to evaluate the chemical nature of vapour generated from e-cigarettes. The aim of this study was to screen e-cigarette vapours for content of four groups of potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds: carbonyls, volatile organic compounds, nitrosamines and heavy metals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Vapours were generated from 12 brands of e-cigarettes and the reference product, the medicinal nicotine inhaler, in controlled conditions using a modified smoking machine. The selected toxic compounds were extracted from vapours into a solid or liquid phase and analysed with chromatographic and spectroscopy methods. RESULTS: We found that the e-cigarette vapours contained some toxic substances. The levels of the toxicants were 9-450 times lower than in cigarette smoke and were, in many cases, comparable with trace amounts found in the reference product. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with the idea that substituting tobacco cigarettes with e-cigarettes may substantially reduce exposure to selected tobacco-specific toxicants. E-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy among smokers unwilling to quit, warrants further study. (To view this abstract in Polish and German, please see the supplementary files online.)" |
| Keywords: | "Administration, Inhalation Carcinogens/*analysis *Drug Delivery Systems *Electronics Harm Reduction Humans Metals, Heavy/analysis Nicotine/*administration & dosage Nitrosamines/analysis Noxae/*analysis *Smoking Tobacco/chemistry Tobacco Products Toxicolog;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineGoniewicz, Maciej Lukasz Knysak, Jakub Gawron, Michal Kosmider, Leon Sobczak, Andrzej Kurek, Jolanta Prokopowicz, Adam Jablonska-Czapla, Magdalena Rosik-Dulewska, Czeslawa Havel, Christopher Jacob, Peyton 3rd Benowitz, Neal eng BHF_/British Heart Foundation/United Kingdom S10 RR026437/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ P30 DA012393/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2013/03/08 Tob Control. 2014 Mar; 23(2):133-9. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050859. Epub 2013 Mar 6" |
