Chemical and Toxicological Characterization of Vaping Emission Products from Commonly Used Vape Juice Diluents

Summary & key facts

Researchers tested the chemicals that form when people vape common vape juice thinners. They found that heating these liquids makes toxic byproducts, and that the oily condensates from the vapor can slow growth and kill human airway cells in the lab. One common additive, vitamin E acetate, produced a pair of chemicals that are linked to strong cell stress. The study does not prove vaping causes the lung illnesses seen in people, but it shows a clear way that vaping can produce harmful molecules that might damage lungs.

Key facts:

• The team heated commonly used vape juice diluents and analyzed the chemicals that were produced during vaping.
• Vaping these diluents created toxic byproducts, including types of chemicals called quinones, carbonyls, esters, and alkyl alcohols.
• When the vapor was condensed and applied to human airway cells in the lab, those condensates slowed the cells' growth and increased cell death.
• Vitamin E acetate, one diluent studied, produced a large amount of a redox pair called duroquinone and durohydroquinone in the vapor, and those chemicals are known to cause oxidative stress, which can damage cells.
• The authors note that their results improve molecular understanding of how vaping emissions can be toxic, but they also say that lab findings do not by themselves prove that those emissions caused the lung injuries seen in some people.

Abstract

Recent reports have linked severe lung injuries and deaths to the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between exposure to vaping emissions and the observed health outcomes remains to be elucidated. Through chemical and toxicological characterization of vaping emission products, this study demonstrates that during vaping processes, changes in chemical composition of several commonly used vape juice diluents (also known as cutting agents) lead to the formation of toxic byproducts, including quinones, carbonyls, esters, and alkyl alcohols. The resulting vaping emission condensates cause inhibited cell proliferation and enhanced cytotoxicity in human airway epithelial cells. Notably, substantial formation of the duroquinone and durohydroquinone redox couple was observed in the vaping emissions from vitamin E acetate, which may be linked to acute oxidative stress and lung injuries reported by previous studies. These findings provide an improved molecular understanding and highlight the significant role of toxic byproducts in vaping-associated health effects.

Topics

Air Quality and Health Impacts Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Physiology

Tags

Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Cytotoxicity Diluent Food science In vitro Organic chemistry Oxidative stress Reactive oxygen species Toxicology

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