Abstract
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are advertised as being safer than tobacco cigarettes products as the chemical compounds inhaled from e-cigarettes are believed to be fewer and less toxic than those from tobacco cigarettes. Therefore, continuous careful monitoring and risk management of e-cigarettes should be implemented, with the aim of protecting and promoting public health worldwide. Moreover, basic scientific data are required for the regulation of e-cigarette. To date, there have been reports of many hazardous chemical compounds generated from e-cigarettes, particularly carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and glyoxal, which are often found in e-cigarette aerosols. These carbonyl compounds are incidentally generated by the oxidation of e-liquid (liquid in e-cigarette; glycerol and glycols) when the liquid comes in contact with the heated nichrome wire. The compositions and concentrations of these compounds vary depending on the type of e-liquid and the battery voltage. In some cases, extremely high concentrations of these carbonyl compounds are generated, and may contribute to various health effects. Suppliers, risk management organizations, and users of e-cigarettes should be aware of this phenomenon.
Highlights
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a battery-powered device designed to deliver nicotine to a smoker
Among major carcinogens and toxic compounds such as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in traditional cigarette smoke, several combustion products are included in the e-cigarette aerosol, too
Nitrosamines are present at levels almost similar to nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) [4], and PAHs are completely absent from e-cigarettes
Summary
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a battery-powered device designed to deliver nicotine to a smoker. Among major carcinogens and toxic compounds such as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in traditional cigarette smoke, several combustion products are included in the e-cigarette aerosol, too. On the international market, e-cigarettes have been widely advertised via television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. This mass marketing and commercialization of e-cigarettes is estimated to increase consumer awareness and the future use of e-cigarettes [9]. The FDA found that nicotine was detected in the e-cigarette cartridges labeled as nicotine-free [10,12], and carcinogens and toxic chemicals, such as carbonyl compounds, were detected in the aerosols from e-cigarettes [7,13,14]. Various combinations of keywords, such as “e-cigarette”, “electronic cigarette”, “chemical components” and “carbonyl compounds” were used to find the relevant literature
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