A study conducted by a research group at the Harvard School of Public health found that the chemical flavoring Diacetyl found in E-Cigarettes is linked to certain lung diseases primarily popcorn lung. The flavoring Diacetyl is found in more than 75% of flavored electronic cigarettes and E-Cigarette juices. However this 75% statistic is not up to date because many E-juice companies are now removing Diacetyl from their recipes. So Yes, chemicals found in some E-juice flavors have been shown to cause popcorn lung when inhaled. Their however has never been a case of someone contracting Popcorn Lung from vaping.

Even though we know that diacetyl causes popcorn lung, this chemical is found in many ecigs flavors. It is added to "e-juice" liquid by some e-cigarette companies to complement flavorings such as vanilla, maple, coconut and more. So while diacetyl was swiftly removed from popcorn products since it could cause this devastating disease among factory workers, e-cigarette users are now directly inhaling this harmful chemical into their lungs. In fact, researchers at Harvard found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contained diacetyl. The study also found two similarly harmful chemicals—2,3 pentanedione and acetoin—present in 23 and 46 of the 51 flavors it tested. And roughly 92 percent of the e-cigarettes had one of the three chemicals present.

The once thought a harmless flavoring chemical is used in several food items, primarily those with a buttery flavor like popcorn. While it is still considered generally safe to consume, over extended periods of time they have found that it is not as safe to inhale. Several workers in popcorn factories began to develop health problems, and in the end, the health professionals found that inhalation exposure to diacetyl was creating cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, thus giving the disease its more familiar moniker of “popcorn lung.”

Diacetyl has been found present in a number of e-cigs liquids. While this can be of concern (read more about e-liquid flavoring safety here) the majority of e-liquid manufacturers in the USA provide diacetyl free labels and assurances to make sure that this harmful flavoring chemical is not inhaled by an unsuspecting vaper. In addition, many companies even hire outside laboratories to test for these ingredients thus giving the vaper even another level of safety.

The study out of Harvard found that the average diacetyl levels of the products they tested were right around 9.0 micrograms per e-cigarette cartridge. Another study, performed a few year prior, measured the levels of diacetyl in regular cigarette smoke. They found 300 to 433 micrograms in one cigarette. That’s one cigarette alone– that means you could vape over 30 cartridges before reaching the lowest levels of diacetyl that you would find in one cigarette. Considering one cartridge lasts most people a day or longer, the exposure difference between e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes is astounding.

In addition, since there are many e-liquid manufacturers that guarantee their products are diacetyl free, you can still vape and avoid inhaling this chemical, something you cannot do with regular tobacco smoke. Even though there are some health hazards associated with vaping, cigarette smokers are still switching over to e-cigarettes as a safer option. According to an expert independent evidence review published by Public Health England (PHE) e-cigarettes are estimated to be around 95% less harmful than smoking. They also found that there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes act as a gateway to smoking tobacco for children and non-smokers.

tags:E Cigarette Popcorn Lung, ecigs