Know little about E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes (electronic nicotine delivery systems are battery-operated devices, designed to deliver nicotine with flavourings and other chemicals, to users in vapour, instead of smoke.

It will interest you to know that all electronic cigarettes emit harmful chemicals, just as conventional cigarettes, and levels of those toxic compounds are affected by factors such as temperature, type and age of the device, according to researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in California.

In laboratory tests, scientists found that the heat-related breakdown of propylene glycol and glycerin, two solvents found in most e-cigarette liquids, causes emissions of toxic chemicals, such as acrolein, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. All three are either respiratory irritants, or carcinogens. But wonder why propylene glycol, which is used in various edible items, such as coffee based drinks, liquid sweeteners, ice creams, whipped diary products and sodas, is now deadly when heated?

Researchers also found that levels of harmful chemicals in e-cigarette vapour increases between the first few puffs and later puffs, as the device gets hotter, and with each use of the device.