Disposable E-Cigarettes and associated health Risks: an Experimental Study.

Introduction:
This text provides an overview of a scientific study examining the health risks associated with the use of disposable electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as e-cigarettes. The study focuses on the aerosol generated by two popular disposable ENDS products and analyzes the chemical composition of the aerosol, with a particular focus on harmful organic chemicals and metals. The study also estimates the deposited doses of these substances in the lungs of ENDS users and assesses the associated cancer and non-cancer health risks.

Key Points:

* The study analyzed the aerosol generated by two popular disposable ENDS products: Puff Bar (Grape) and air Bar (Watermelon Ice).
* Size-segregated aerosol samples were collected using a Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) and analyzed for organic chemicals and metals using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS), respectively.
* The study detected a number of harmful organic chemicals and metals in the aerosol, including nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol, benzoic acid, triethyl citrate, ethyl maltol, 3-hexen-1-ol, chromium, nickel, manganese, lead, aluminum, and zinc.
* The study estimated the deposited doses of these substances in the lungs of ENDS users using equations that take into account the aerosol respiratory deposition fractions.
* The study assessed the cancer and non-cancer health risks associated with these substances using the estimated deposited doses and published cancer slope factors (CSF) and reference doses (RfD) from the US EPa and CalEPa.
* The study found that the estimated cancer risks corresponding to chromium from both disposable ENDS products were substantially above the acceptable risk, and the respiratory cancer risk corresponding to nickel in the aerosol from air Bar (Watermelon Ice) was also substantially above the acceptable risk.
* The study also found that chromium and nickel in the aerosol generated by air Bar (Watermelon Ice) had an additive effect on the respiratory system, indicating a potential risk for adverse respiratory effects among people who regularly use this product.

Main Message:
This study highlights the potential health risks associated with the use of disposable ENDS products, particularly in relation to the inhalation of harmful organic chemicals and metals. The study provides evidence that the aerosol generated by disposable ENDS products contains a number of harmful substances, and that these substances can deposit in the lungs of ENDS users and pose cancer and non-cancer health risks. The study underscores the importance of regulating such harmful and potentially harmful chemicals in ENDS products and implementing stricter product labeling requirements and effective communication campaigns to combat the public health impact of these novel ENDS products.

Lin hC, Buu a, Su WC. Disposable E-Cigarettes and associated health Risks: an Experimental Study. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2022;19(17). doi:10.3390/ijerph191710633