There are currently over 7,700 fluids for electronic cigarette, and all have a different composition. So far, the effects of vaping on health remain unclear for the majority of e-liquids available on the market. To remedy this, researchers from the North Carolina School of Medicine, in the United States, have developed a protocol to judge the degree of toxicity of e-liquids. Their study is available on PLOS Biology.
Liquids for electronic cigarettes are made up of two major ingredients: propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. In addition, there is nicotine and chemical additives for flavoring. The researchers then developed a system for rapid assessment of the toxicity of e-liquids : they expose cultures of human cells to the smoke of different liquids. The cells are then stained. If they turn green, it is because they are alive, red if they are dead. The rate of cell growth is also observed, so the lower it is, the more toxic the liquid.
Vaping decreases cell growth
The two main ingredients in these fluids were considered to be oral non-toxic, but once inhaled cell growth was significantly reduced. Scientists also realized that depending on the scent of the liquid, the ingredients varied wildly. Generally speaking, the more ingredient there is, the greater the toxicity of the liquid. The presence of vanillins in the composition was also associated with higher toxicity values.
To facilitate the dissemination of these results, the research team set up a database on the ingredients and data on the toxicity of e-liquids freely available. They hope that this work will allow, in the future, to better regulate the composition of e-liquids.
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