Study: Hundreds of unidentified components in e-cigarette liquid

E-cigarette aerosols contain thousands of chemicals and substances unknown and undisclosed by manufacturers. These are the results of a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University and published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. Among the substances in question, six additives and contaminants potentially hazardous to health were identified by the researchers, including a pesticide and caffeine. In light of these results, the study's authors call for vigilance and further research to assess the true toxicity of e-cigarettes.[1].

The study employed a technique initially used in research to detect chemicals in food, blood, and wastewater. Previous research showed that toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes were present at lower levels than in conventional combustible cigarettes. However, e-cigarette aerosols contain other uncharacterized chemicals not found in manufactured cigarette smoke.

Hundreds of unidentified chemical compounds

The researchers limited their analysis to tobacco-flavored e-cigarette liquids. In fact, the hundreds of flavored liquids were not included in the study, so the hypothesis of specific toxicity of these products was not tested. The liquids analyzed came from four popular brands sold in the United States: Mi-Salt, Vuse, Juul, and Blu. The research team was able to detect the presence of nearly 2,000 chemical compounds, the vast majority of which were not identified. For three of these, these brands are marketed in France.

Caffeine and pesticide identified in e-cigarette liquid

Caffeine was found in the liquids of two of the four brands analyzed. According to the researchers, it remains unclear whether the presence of caffeine in the liquid is intentional. This substance, added to e-cigarette liquid, could have a stimulating effect on the user. The study authors also found three industrial chemicals in the analyzed samples: a pesticide and two flavorings linked to potential toxic effects and respiratory irritation.

Further research needed

For the researchers, these results demonstrate that the true toxicity of e-cigarettes is not yet sufficiently understood. This lack of perspective is, according to them, all the more problematic given that e-cigarettes are regularly marketed as a product that poses little danger, or even harmless to health, and are widely consumed in the country studied by non-smoking adolescents. Further research on the composition of these new nicotine products, particularly analyses of flavored liquids, could thus be useful for public health.

Keywords: Electronic cigarette, liquid, study

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[1] Chemical Research Toxicology, Characterizing the Chemical Landscape in Commercial E-Cigarette Liquids and Aerosols by Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry, 05/10/2021 (accessed 11/10/2021)