Study Concludes E-Cigarette Aerosol Is Toxic, Its Results Show Otherwise

Posted by: Vranks on October 16, 2015 Under: E-Cigarette Studies

A study due to be published in the Current Environmental Health Reports journal, concludes that secondhand exposure to exhaled e-cigarette aerosol is toxic because it contains particulate matter. The problem is the presented results of the observational study show levels of particulate matter in homes of e-cigarette users are no different than those measured in smoke-free and vape-free homes.

The purpose of the  Fernandez E, et al. study was a simple one – to compare the level of particulates generated by cigarettes and e-cigarettes to the level of these particulates in the air of homes where non-smokers and non-vapers live. The methodology was even simpler: “We measured PM_2.5 [fine particulate matter] in four different homes: one from a conventional cigarette smoker, one from an e-cigarette user, and two from non-smokers.”

The results for the median PM2.5 levels (in micrograms per cubic meter) were as follows:

As you can see, the levels of fine particulate matter in the smoker home were about 60 times higher than those found in the spaces inhabited by non-smokers, whereas the median levels measured in the home where vaping was taking place were virtually no different than those found in smoke-free, vape-free homes.

One would logically assume that, at least in terms of fine particulate matter exposure, the air in spaces where vaping is taking place is just as safe as the air in spaces with no smoking or vaping. But apparently that assumption is false. Here is the study conclusion: “Both the literature review and the observational study indicate that e-cigarettes used under real-conditions emit toxicants, including PM_2.5. Further research is needed to characterize the chemicals emitted by different types of e-cigarettes and to assess secondhand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol using biological markers.”

How they reached this conclusion is a mystery, since the results of their study clearly show that air in no-smoking, no-vaping homes has just about the same levels of particulate matter. Simply living apparently generates some PM_2.5, but e-cigarettes? You’ll need some actual proof to make me believe that one.

Unfortunately, the actual results aren’t even mentioned in the conclusion, so the average reader and most media outlets would most likely take the scientists’ word for it and continue to propagate this unfounded fear of e-cigarettes and their yet-to-be-discovered negative effects on health. Meanwhile, millions of people around the world are dying of smoking-related diseases. Thank you, science!

via Tobacco Analysis