Disposable E-Cigarettes More Toxic Than Traditional Cigarettes

Summary

They may look like travel shampoo bottles and smell like bubblegum, but after a few hundred puffs, some disposable, electronic cigarettes and vape pods release higher amounts of toxic metals than older e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. For example, one of the disposable e-cigarettes studied released more lead during a day’s use than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.The study, published today in the journal ACS Central Science, noted that although most disposable e-cigarettes are illegal in the United States, they remain widely available. Most consumers of disposable e-cigarettes are teens or young adults, who are also highly susceptible to lead exposure. Inhaling certain metals can increase a person’s risk of cancer, respiratory disease and nerve damage.“Our study highlights the hidden risk of these new and popular disposable electronic cigarettes — with hazardous levels of neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony — which stresses the need for urgency in enforcement,” said senior author Brett Poulin, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology. “These risks are not just worse than other e-cigarettes but worse in some cases than traditional cigarettes.” Ph.D. candidate Mark Salazar, left, holds a disposable vape pod in the lab at UC Davis, alongside UC Davis Assistant Professor Brett Poulin. The scientists found high levels of metals, including lead, in the devices, which are especially popular with teens. (Kat Kerlin/UC Davis) ‘What are you smoking?’First author Mark Salazar, a Ph.D. candidate in Poulin’s lab, first saw a disposable vape pod when he was visiting a friend. The pods are self-contained cartridges that hold a battery, e-liquid and heating coil. Salazar was curious: What, exactly, was his friend smoking? He brought the pod back to the lab at UC Davis and tested its vapor for metal concentrations.“When I first saw the lead concentra...