NEW: High Levels of Formaldehyde Found in E-Cigarette Vapor

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Joanna Evoniuk, GoLocalPDX Contributor

E-cigarette vapor can contain hidden formaldehyde levels five to 15 times higher than regular cigarettes, according to new research by Portland State University.

“E-cigarettes are becoming more complicated and more like real cigarettes by the day,” said PSU Professor James F. Pankow, who participated in the study. “They use extremely high temperatures to vaporize their fluids and contain high levels of chemical additives. No one should assume e-cigarettes are safe.”

Formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, has been known to present in cigarette smoke. The PSU research found the popular “tank system” e-cigarettes allow users to increase heat substantially, causing the vapor to produce large amounts of formaldehyde.

E-cigarette devices and liquids are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so companies are not required to disclose manufacturing processes, ingredient lists, or scientific data.

The FDA proposed federal restrictions in April 2014 that would regulate e-cigarettes the same as tobacco, but the proposal is still under review.

PSU professors who worked on the study agree more research is needed to evaluate the health risks of e-cigarettes.

“Our overarching concern about e-cigarette use is the lack of research on health risks,” said Jackilen Shannon, a cancer prevention expert with the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. “This study represents progress toward providing some much-needed data on the make-up of the smoke from some e-cigarettes.”