What’s in E-cigarettes/Vape Pens?
Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lung tissue. Diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease
Volatile organic compounds Heavy metals (nickel, tin, lead) Propylene glycol
Battery Atomizer/coil
Absorbent material (aka cotton)
Nicotine Propylene glycol Vegetable glycerin
Flavorants
Nicotine aerosol
What
Are E-Cigarettes?
• E-cigarettes are made of a battery, an atomizer with a heating coil, and an absorbent material that absorbs a liquid that can contain nicotine, flavoring and chemicals.
• The battery allows the atomizer to heat the liquid, called e-juice, which creates an aerosol that is breathed into the lungs and breathed out into the air repeatedly.
• Some of these devices are pre-loaded with the e-juice that comes in bottles like these and others where the users add it themselves.
Water Vapor, or Something else?
D
efi
n
iti
o
n
s
GAS: a substance with indefinite expansion. When you
let a gas out of it's bottle, it will usually keep spreading
out until it's completely mixed with the air.
VAPOR: it can mean the same as gas, but it may also be
used to describe a visible exhalation, such as steam or
fog. "Vapor" isn't as precise a term as "gas" or "aerosol."
It’s an Aerosol, Not a Vapor
• E-cigarettes/vape pens allow the user to make large clouds that many think are just water vapor • The ‘cloud’ is a mixture of many different chemicals that were either present in the e-liquid before or
produced during the heating process
• A vapor is a chemical that has evaporated
• An aerosol is a mixture of liquid particles suspended in a gas and can contain many chemicals
• Instead of just mixing with the air like a pure gas, aerosols can leave drops behind.
What’s in E-Cig Aerosol?
• Propylene glycol • Glycerin
• Flavorings (many) • Nicotine • NNN • NNK • NAB • NAT • Ethylbenzene • Benzene • Xylene • Toluene • Acetaldehyde • Formaldehyde • Naphthalene • Styrene • Benzo(b)fluoranthe ne • Cadmium • Silicon • Lithium • Lead • Magnesium • Manganese • Potassium • Titanium • Zinc • Zirconium • Calcium • Iron • Sulfur • Vanadium • Cobalt • Rubidium • Benzo(ghi)perylene • Acetone • Acrolein • Silver • Nickel • Tin • Sodium • Strontium • Barium • Aluminum • Chromium • Boron • Copper • Selenium • Arsenic • Nitrosamines, • Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons
• Chlorobenzene • Crotonaldehyde • Propionaldehyde • Benzaldehyde • Valeric acid • Hexanal • Fluorine • Anthracene • Pyrene • Acenaphthylene • Acenapthene • Fluoranthene • Benz(a)anthracene • Chrysene • Retene • Benzo(a)pyrene • Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene
All of these chemicals have been found in
e-cig aerosol.
• , Many of these are the
same chemicals found in traditional cigarettes
• Simply put, E Cigs
produce a
vapor/aerosol that often contain propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings, and nicotine and many other harmful
chemicals and toxins, some known to cause cancer
• Nicotine itself is a
highly addictive compound
• And while not all
Where Else Can You Find These Chemicals?
Nicotine
Formaldehyde
Acetone
Rubidium
Propylene glycol
AntifreezeEthylbenzene
Paints, PesticidesCigarettes
Nail Polish Remover
What is Thirdhand Smoke?
Another way e-cigarettes/vape pens pose a danger to people( other than the smoker) is through thirdhand smoke. Evidence shows thirdhand smoke is dangerous to others. Thirdhand smoke is chemicals in e-cig
vapor/aerosol that remain on surfaces and in dust, even after the vapor and aerosol are gone. The chemicals react with other chemicals in the environment to form toxic chemicals that are re-released into the
environment. These potentially harmful chemicals can be exposed to other people or animals through the respiratory system, through ingestions, and through skin exposure. Small children are especially at risk for thirdhand smoke exposure because they tend to put things into their mouths and they have more vulnerable
