Study: Metals in E-Cigarette Vapor

A study recently conducted by Prue Talbot, Professor of Cell Biology at the University of California, Riverside, and published at Plos One, is claiming to have found that e-cigarette vapor produced from cartomizers contains a higher amount of metallic particles than conventional cigarettes.

While not surprising, considering the amount of metal used in the construction of cartomizers and coils, it should probably be noted that while the study finds that e-cigarettes which produce tin particles could present a degree of health risk, it does not specify the degree of that risk, nor does it conclude that all e-cigarettes produce such particles (though it is almost a sure thing it will be presented that way by e-cigarette opponents).  The abstract also does not specify the brands of cartomizers tested.

“While the outer fibers filtered out many of the tin particles, significant amounts of tin, other metals, and silicate beads escaped into the aerosol and would result in human exposure, in some cases probably greater than a conventional cigarette user would experience.”

A rather interesting chart is included which shows levels of metallic particles found, and a comparison to the amounts of those metals found in normal cigarettes, along with known health effects of those metals. However, it does not indicate the levels at which such health effects would manifest, making it unclear whether the levels of many metals found present any real health risk.

The conclusion of the study is that the study’s findings may be helpful in guiding manufacturers in selecting materials from which to build their products, as well as to improve quality control procedures.

Metal and Silicate Particles Including Nanoparticles Are Present in Electronic Cigarette Cartomizer Fluid and Aerosol – Plos One

Study: Metals in E-Cigarette Vapor