E-Cigarettes Could Be Contaminated With Microbial Toxins, Study Shows

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), also known as a vape, could be contaminated with bacterial and fungal toxins, a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers revealed.

Vaping, the use of e-cigarettes, has been popularized in recent years, resulting in its increased usage among middle school and high school students. An estimated 3 million high school students have used vape, according to a 2018. This is q much greater number compared to the 220,000 that was recorded from 2011.

Harvard researchers had studied the link between the identified chemicals with severe respiratory disease associated with the flavors of e-cigarette. Decades of research showed that chronic lung impairment is present in people exposed to airborne biological contaminants, but no research about the potential contamination of e-cigarettes with microbial toxins existed.

Popular vape devices that can be purchased in the U.S. were examined by the researchers from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Traces of endotoxin, a microbial agent found in Gram-negative bacteria, and glucan, a molecule found in the cell walls of most fungi, were found in the 75 e-cigarette cartridges (singe-use) and e-liquids (refillable material). Exposure to such substances has been linked to respiratory health problems.

"Airborne Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin and fungal-derived glucans have been shown to cause acute and chronic respiratory effects in occupational and environmental settings," David Christiani, an Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics and senior author of the study, said in a statement. "Finding these toxins in e-cigarette products adds to the growing concerns about the potential for adverse respiratory effects in users."

"In addition to inhaling harmful chemicals, e-cig users could also be exposed to biological contaminants like endotoxin and glucan," Mi-Sun Lee, research fellow and author of the paper, said. "These new findings should be considered when developing regulatory policies for e-cigarettes."

The research paper was published in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives on April 24.

The authors of the study have noted that contamination of the e-cigarettes could have happened any time between the manufacturing and the actual use of the product. They suggested that cotton wicks used in e-cigarettes may be responsible for the contamination because both endotoxin and glucan are known to be present in cotton fibers.