IVAQs Indoor Air Quality Comparison
IVAQS Project Abstract
By www.ivaqs.com on October 4th, 2012 [Reprinted by ECBlend by permission of the Abstract Author - This is a copyrighted article. This article may not be reprinted without the written consent of the Author]
Comparison of the Effects of E-cigarette Vapor and Cigarette Smoke on Indoor Air Quality
(short title – Assessment of E-cigarette Vapor and Cigarette Smoke)
1McAuley, TR*, 2Hopke, PK, 2Zhao, J, 3Babaian, S
1Consulting for Health, Air, Nature, & a Greener Environment, LLC (CHANGE), Corporate Headquarters, Queensbury, NY 12804-9358
2Center for Air Resources Science & Engineering (CARES), Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699-5708
3National Vapers Club, Long Island, NY
ABSTRACT
Context: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have earned considerable attention recently as an alternative to smoking tobacco, but uncertainties about their impact on health and indoor air quality have resulted in proposals for bans on indoor e-cigarette use.
Objective: To assess potential health impacts relating to the use of e-cigarettes, a series of studies were conducted using e-cigarettes and standard tobacco cigarettes.
Methods and Materials: Four different high nicotine e-liquids were vaporized in two sets of experiments by generic 2-piece e-cigarettes to collect emissions and assess indoor air concentrations of common tobacco smoke byproducts. Tobacco cigarette smoke tests were conducted for comparison.
Results: Comparisons of pollutant concentrations were made between e-cigarette vapor and tobacco smoke samples. Pollutants included VOCs, carbonyls, PAHs, nicotine, TSNAs, and glycols. From these results, risk analyses were conducted based on dilution into a 40 m3 room and standard toxicological data. Non-cancer risk analysis revealed “No Significant Risk” of harm to human health for vapor samples from e-liquids (A-D). In contrast, for tobacco smoke most findings markedly exceeded risk limits indicating a condition of “Significant Risk” of harm to human health. With regard to cancer risk analysis, no vapor sample from e-liquids A-D exceeded the risk limit for either children or adults. The tobacco smoke sample approached the risk limits for adult exposure.
Conclusions: For all byproducts measured, electronic cigarettes produce very small exposures relative to tobacco cigarettes. The study indicates no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette emissions based on the compounds analyzed.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to recognize that this research would not have been possible without many contributions made by key individuals who brought additional expertise to this research. We would like to thank Peter W. Woodman, Ph.D for the toxicological risk analysis, Mary Bielaska, Esq. for her legal counseling, Murray Laugesen, FNZCPHM for his suggestions on methodology, Yolanda Villa, Esq. for her consulting support, Janet Andersen for her administrative support, Victoria Vasconcellos and others listed below for their financial support as well as hundreds of National Vapers Club members who provided individual financial contributions.
A very special thank you to the 2 people who were not thanked in the acknowldgements but without whom this study would not have been possible.