Evaluation of Toxicant and Carcinogen Metabolites in the Urine of E-Cigarette Users Versus Cigarette Smokers

Introduction:
This text is a study on the toxicant and carcinogen metabolites found in the urine of e-cigarette users and comparing their levels to those found in cigarette smokers. The study aims to provide information on the potential toxic or carcinogenic effects of e-cigarettes.

Key Points:

* The study recruited 28 e-cigarette users who had not smoked tobacco cigarettes for at least 2 months and collected urine samples for analysis.
* The levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-hOP), total NNaL, 3-hPMa, 2-hPMa, hMPMa, and SPMa were significantly lower in the urine of e-cigarette users compared to cigarette smokers.
* Nicotine and cotinine were significantly lower in e-cigarette users compared to cigarette smokers in one study but not in another.
* The study also found that four e-cigarette users had higher than expected levels of total NNaL, although lower than typically seen in smokers.
* 1-hOP was present in more than 99% of the urine samples collected in 1999 and 2000 as part of the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States, with a geometric mean for the entire population of 0.37 pmol/ml urine, close to the level reported here for e-cigarette users.
* The mercapturic acids measured in this study were significantly lower in the urine of e-cigarette users than in smokers, and their levels were generally in the same range as previously reported in nonsmokers.

Main Message:
The main message of the study is that with respect to the compounds analyzed, e-cigarettes have a more favorable toxicity profile than tobacco cigarettes. however, the study also highlights that further research is needed to understand the potential long-term health effects of e-cigarette use, particularly in relation to the four e-cigarette users who had higher than expected levels of total NNaL. Overall, the study provides valuable information for regulators and policymakers to consider when assessing the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes.

hecht, S. S., S. G. Carmella, D. Kotandeniya, M. E. Pillsbury, M. Chen, B. W. S. Ransom, R. I. Vogel, E. Thompson, S. E. Murphy, and D. K. hatsukami. “Evaluation of Toxicant and Carcinogen Metabolites in the Urine of E-Cigarette Users Versus Cigarette Smokers.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 17, no. 6 (June 1, 2015): 704–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu218.