Some flavourings used in e-cigarettes can have toxic effects on users lungs – over and above the effects of the nicotine.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that flavours such as Hot Cinnamon Candies, Banana Pudding, and Menthol Tobacco were toxic to lung cells in 24-hour high-dose tests.
The researchers used cultured human lung cells in the tests, and tested 13 popular flavours at varying doses.
The toxic effects were not caused by the nicotine in the e-cigarettes, or the other ingredients in the e-liquid, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin.
Lead author Temperance Rowell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said, ‘The effects of the various chemical components of e-cigarette vapor on lung tissue are largely unknown.
‘Given the increasing popularity of flavored e-cigarettes, a better understanding of their ingredients, the potential health risks of these ingredients, and the causes of these risks is urgently needed.
‘In our study using human lung epithelial cells, a number of cell viability and toxicity parameters pointed to 5 of 13 flavors tested showing overall adverse effects to cells in a dose-dependent manner.
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