E-Cigarette Flavors and Voltage Output Affect Toxicity Levels

If you use electronic cigarettes regularly, be careful of what you smoke. According to a study done by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, certain e-cigarette flavors can be more toxic than others. Researchers evaluated six different types of e-cigarettes and five different flavors including coffee, menthol, piña colada, strawberry and tobacco into the device. After inserting the flavor into an e-cigarette, bronchial cells were exposed to the aerosol created. Toxicity levels were measured by the cell’s activity, viability and inflammatory mediator releases. But what flavor was the worst of them all? Results point to strawberry. “Although many of the flavorings used in e-cigarette liquids have been certified as safe for eating, little is known about their effects when heated and inhaled in e-cigarettes,” said senior author Maciej Goniewicz, “This study suggests that various characteristics of e-cigarettes, including any flavorings, may induce inhalation toxicity and therefore, caution should be used with these products until more comprehensive studies are performed.” Goniewicz, who is an assistant professor of Oncology at Roswell Park’s Department of Health Behavior, also verified a previous experiment on e-cigarette voltage levels. According to the verification, the higher the battery output voltage, the greater the toxicity. The findings were published in the Tobacco Control journal, and supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Health. “Our study demonstrates that e-cigarette products differ significantly in the degree of their cellular toxicity to the bronchial epithelial cells,” Goniewicz added, “These findings have an important regulatory implications, because the presence of flavorings – can be regulated and standardized. Additionally, users may want to reduce their potential harm by choosing products with lower toxicity profile and operating their devices at lower power settings.” Hear more about Goniewicz’s research in his September 2016 interview: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WglF5vHDIo[/embed]