Another day another vaping study.
As e-cigarettes continue to be put under the microscope, it seems as though one day they're the miracle device to give health and prosperity to smokers, the next, it's just as bad, if not worse than normal cigarettes.
Well, the latest bit of research suggests there could be some very negative health consequences if your vape is leaking. Academics from the Johns Hopkins University found heating coils can cause metals such as lead, chromium, manganese and nickel to leak from the machine and end up in the aerosols that users inhale.
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The study has been published in Environmental Health Perspectives, after researchers looked at the vape machines of more than 50 people. They took those e-cigarettes to their laboratory in Baltimore and tested it to see if 15 different metals were present and lo and behold, the findings were juicy.
They allege these dangerous properties were definitely the result of coming into contact with the heating coil, which is usually made out of nickel, chromium and a few other materials. Shockingly, the team found the median lead concentration in the aerosols was 25 times greater than the median level in the refill dispensers.
Even worse, half the machines inspected had lead concentrations higher than the limit of what the American Environmental Protection Agency deems safe.
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But scenario plaguing the team at Johns Hopkins University was that the vape machines were all over the place.
Study senior author Ana María Rule said: "These were median levels only. The actual levels of these metals varied greatly from sample to sample, and often were much higher than safe limits."
While they've identified the issues surrounding the leak, they're still trying to pinpoint how it's caused.
"We don't know yet whether metals are chemically leaching from the coil or vaporizing when it's heated," says Professor Rule.
Whatever the cause, Rule and her team are hoping their research will result in American authorities having a look at how these machines affect users and the wider public.
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She adds: "It's important for the FDA, the e-cigarette companies and vapers themselves to know that these heating coils, as currently made, seem to be leaking toxic metals--which then get into the aerosols that vapers inhale."
There's no denying that there are some pretty bad chemicals inside cigarettes, but vapers might not be aware that their machine could also be producing some nasty properties.
Sources: Eureka Alert
Topics: Vape, Study, Interesting, Community