Benzaldehyde Commonly Found in E-Cigarette Vapor

Smokers of cherry-flavored electronic cigarettes inhale higher levels of benaldeyde than smokers of regular cigarettes, according to a new study.

Although benzaldehyde—commonly found in food and cosmetics—is safe to eat and apply to the skin, inhaling the chemical is linked to irritation of the respiratory passages and eyes. Since e-cigarettes are marketed as a way for regular smokers to quit, more research was needed to explore e-cigarettes’ safety, according to researchers.
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To study these effects and to determine which flavors of vapor have the highest concentration of benzaldehyde, researchers extracted the vapor of 145 e-cigarettes by using an automatic smoking simulator, trapped it in sorbent tubes, and analyzed it using liquid chromatography.

Researchers studied various e-cigarette flavors—including berry/tropical fruit, tobacco, and cherry—and had the simulator take 30 puffs of each e-cigarette.

Results showed that benzaldehyde was present in 74% of e-cigarettes tested, with cherry-flavored vapor containing the highest dosage.

Researchers also noted that the level of benzaldehyde produced by 30 puffs of e-cigarette vapor was higher than that produced by a regular cigarette.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding adverse health effects stemming from long-term inhalation of flavoring ingredients such as benzaldehyde, clinicians need to be aware of this emerging risk and ask their patients about use of flavored e-cigarettes,” researchers concluded.

--Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Kosmider L, Sobczak A, Prokopowicz A, et al. Cherry-flavoured electronic cigarettes expose users to the inhalation irritant, benzaldehyde. Thorax. Published online first January 28, 2016. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207895.