Disposable e-cigarettes are more toxic than traditional cigarettes, researchers say
New toxic warning issued over disposable e-cigarettes
- Researchers at the University of California at Davis found that popular disposable e-cigarettes are more toxic than traditional cigarettes, emitting higher levels of harmful metals.
- After just a few hundred puffs, some devices released neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony, with one e-cigarette emitting more lead in a day than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.
- The study revealed that these toxins are either present in the e-liquid or leach extensively from components like leaded bronze alloy and heating coils.
- For daily users, emissions from some devices exceeded cancer risk limits for nickel and antimony, and health-risk thresholds for lead and nickel, posing risks like neurological damage and respiratory diseases.
- Despite most disposable e-cigarettes being illegal in the U.S., they remain available, with researchers emphasizing the urgent need for regulation enforcement due to the market outpacing scientific understanding and the high rate of use among teens and young adults.