Some Disposable E-Cigarettes Are More Toxic Than Traditional Cigarettes, Study Finds

Have e-cigarettes become More and more popular in the past two decades, especially among young people. These elegant, deliciously flavored smoking devices are often marketed as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, but alarming new research challenges of this assumption are often marketed.

In a study published on June 25th in the magazine ACS central scienceResearchers tested three popular one -way vape brands for dangerous metals and metalloids such as lead, chrome, antimon and nickel. Inhaling these toxins can increase the risk of cancer, respiratory diseases and nerve damage. The results show that e-cigarettes dangerously high values ​​of poisonous metals statement-higher sizes than the values ​​of traditional cigarettes and other e-cigarettes emit. A brand published more leadership during one day use As almost 20 packs of cigarettes. In view of the widespread use of Vapes, the results underline an urgent need for regulatory measures, according to the researchers.

“Our study shows the hidden risk of this new and popular electronic cigarettes with dangerous neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony, which emphasizes the need for urgency in the implementation” opinion. “These risks are not only worse than other e-cigarettes, but in some cases worse than traditional cigarettes.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put down against brands that are sold with flavored, available vapes in the USA, due to concerns about youth access, health risks and non -authorized sales. Despite output Warning letters to popular brands, Hit Retailers with civilian punishments and blocking E-cigarette imports from other countries such as China, the agency has not managed to keep these devices away from the US market.

In recent years, the sale of one -way depressions has overtaken the sales of older, refillable vapes. According to the FDAs Annual National Youth Tabacco Survey For 2025, disposable e-cigarettes are the most frequently used tobacco product in young people. The survey showed that 5.9% of the middle and upper level students (1.63 million) reported the current use of e-cigarettes and from these students, 55.6% use disposable vapes.

Earlier studies have examined the elementary composition of refillable e-cigarettes, but only a few have dealt with these newer devices. In order to close this gap, Poulin and his colleagues analyzed the metals and metalloids in seven disposable vapes, which were made by three brands, including flavored and unblaceed liquids. They chose the brands based on popularity and bought the e-cigarettes from online providers, which contained all devices they tested in the USA, with the exception of one that enabled the researchers to test whether nicotine influences the metal concentrations of e-liquids (generally as “vape sap”).

The key components of any vape are a battery, e-liquid (generally known as “vape juice” or “e-juice”) and a heating coil. If the user presses a button on the device or simply in some cases in some cases that the battery heats the coil and the e-liquid transforms into the aerosol.

The researchers tested the metal concentrations of unused e-liquids and aerosols with a special instrument to activate the e-cigarettes and generate between 500 and 1,500 puffs per device. They found that “these disposable devices are already available in the e-liquid toxins or that they were exhausted quite extensively by their components in e-liquids and ultimately transferred to the smoke,” said the leading author Mark Salazar, a doctoral student in Poulin’s laboratory.

Some unused e-fluids contained a high antimonnonation, a toxic metalloid. Heating coils were nickel in the e-fluid, while in some devices bronze components led nickel and lead. The vapors of some devices contained surprisingly high metal levels, including antimony and lead. Interestingly, the metal concentrations of the aerosols increased with increasing number of puffs, which indicates that exposure deteriorates with increasing age.

Overall, the researchers found that disposable E-cigarette users are exposed to a significantly higher level of toxic metals and metalloids than those who use refillable vapes, which can lead to increased health risks. Three of the tested vapes produced vapors that contained nickel mirrors exceeded cancer risk waves, and two emitted potentially cancer -like antimony quantities. Four devices had nickel and lead emissions that, in addition to cancer, exceeded the risk waves for diseases such as neurological damage and respiratory diseases.

Of the almost 100 disposable e-cigarettes brands available in the USA, only three was tested in this study. Despite regulatory efforts, these devices are still very popular with young people. The researchers hope that their work inspires others to examine the health risks associated with available e-cigarettes because they look like they would not disappear as quickly.