Scientists don’t know much yet about the long-term effects of “vape juice,” the liquid used in e-cigarettes and vaporizers. But researchers analyzing the liquid and the vapor produced when it’s heated say some kinds of e-liquids are reacting to form irritating chemicals called acetals while they’re sitting on shelves.
More than 3 million young people in middle school and high school, in addition to many adults, use e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of them could be inhaling these compounds regularly. And that could be irritating or even damaging to their lungs, Yale and Duke university researchers suggest.
The study published Tuesday looked specifically at eight flavors of Juul e-liquids, which contain a different mixture of solvents than many other brands of e-liquid. These new findings build on similar work the research group published in October 2018 on other brands of e-liquids.