Smoke versus Vapor
The Tobacco Industry vs the Electronic Cigarette
Positive Test Results
Labstat
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Fax: +1 (519) 748-1654
General e-mail: labstat@labstat.com
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Labstat, a Canadian Company ... a company which has been highly regarded in their field of expertise since 1976, was one of the testing facilities which took part in a study of the Ruyan electronic cigarette. I have outlined some of their more important findings, but please take the time to read the entire report.
Even though most, if not all research to date regarding the electronic cigarette, points to the fact that they could very well be considered a much safer alternative to the tobacco products, the FDA and the Governments have turned a blind eye to the test results. Results provided from the very same corporations that they have trusted and relied on for years. The results may not have been what they were hoping for ... but it does not take away from the fact that these results show without a doubt, that the electronic cigarette is the safer alternative.
Safety Report on the Ruyan® e-cigarette Cartridge and
Inhaled Aerosol
Inhaled Aerosol
Murray Laugesen
Health New Zealand Ltd
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/
(Dr) Murray Laugesen
Christchurch, 8082, New Zealand.
9 October, 2008
Summary
Aim - This report aims to assist regulators in initial assessment of the safety of the Ruyan® e-cigarette and its cartridges, and the possible risks and benefits from permitting its use.
Method - Health New Zealand Ltd contracted with seven leading government, university and commercial laboratories in New Zealand and Canada to independently perform various tests on the Ruyan cigarettes nicotine refill cartridge.
Findings - Ruyan e-cigarette is designed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The various test results confirm this is the case. It is very safe relative to cigarettes, and also safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Using micro-electronics it vaporizes, separately for each puff, very small quantities of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, two small well-known molecules with excellent safety profiles, into a fine aerosol. Each puff contains one third to one half the nicotine in a tobacco cigarettes puff. The cartridge liquid is tobacco-free and no combustion occurs.
Conclusion - The Ruyan e-cigarette cartridge does not contain carcinogenic levels of TSNAs, in that no product containing these trace levels has been shown to cause cancer.
PAH carcinogens - which are found in cigarette smoke are not detectable in the Ruyan e-cigarette cartridge liquid. PAHs that were detected are not rated as carcinogens by IARC. In particular, the cigarette smoke carcinogen benzalphapyrene was not detected.
Cigarette smoke. The presence of CO indicates combustion of organic compounds, and so is found in all smoke involving burning of tobacco, or any other plant material, such as wood smoke and marijuana smoke.
The e-cigarette. Shows no increase in expired CO. The absence of any such effect from the e-cigarette shows that combustion does not occur as confirmed by the lack of flame or smoke. As nicotine has a low vapor pressure, the piezoelectric ceramic element in the e-cigarette is needed to cause vaporization of the nicotine-propylene glycol solution. Cigarette smoke is produced by combustion at temperatures of up to1000 degrees Centigrade, which is highly destructive, breaking up tobacco into free radicals and many small harmful gas molecules such as carbon monoxide, butadiene, benzene etc.
Conclusion. Mist from the e-cigarette is created by vaporizing a liquid, while smoke is created by incinerating plant material. Mist and smoke differ profoundly in composition and safety profile.
Overall conclusion. Several toxicants in headspace of the Ruyan® e-cigarette cartridge have, on some tests, been found, specifically acrolein and acetaldehyde, at very low levels, and at levels below those determined to be harmful, and well below the minimum risk levels accepted by the US Public Health Service and OSHA. The results obtained to date do not mitigate this reports overall conclusion that the Ruyan® e-cigarette is designed to be a safe alternative to smoking, and appears to be safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Direct tests of the safety of the e-cigarette mist are in their final stage.
The full Report can be found here.
Aim - This report aims to assist regulators in initial assessment of the safety of the Ruyan® e-cigarette and its cartridges, and the possible risks and benefits from permitting its use.
Method - Health New Zealand Ltd contracted with seven leading government, university and commercial laboratories in New Zealand and Canada to independently perform various tests on the Ruyan cigarettes nicotine refill cartridge.
Findings - Ruyan e-cigarette is designed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The various test results confirm this is the case. It is very safe relative to cigarettes, and also safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Using micro-electronics it vaporizes, separately for each puff, very small quantities of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, two small well-known molecules with excellent safety profiles, into a fine aerosol. Each puff contains one third to one half the nicotine in a tobacco cigarettes puff. The cartridge liquid is tobacco-free and no combustion occurs.
Conclusion - The Ruyan e-cigarette cartridge does not contain carcinogenic levels of TSNAs, in that no product containing these trace levels has been shown to cause cancer.
PAH carcinogens - which are found in cigarette smoke are not detectable in the Ruyan e-cigarette cartridge liquid. PAHs that were detected are not rated as carcinogens by IARC. In particular, the cigarette smoke carcinogen benzalphapyrene was not detected.
Cigarette smoke. The presence of CO indicates combustion of organic compounds, and so is found in all smoke involving burning of tobacco, or any other plant material, such as wood smoke and marijuana smoke.
The e-cigarette. Shows no increase in expired CO. The absence of any such effect from the e-cigarette shows that combustion does not occur as confirmed by the lack of flame or smoke. As nicotine has a low vapor pressure, the piezoelectric ceramic element in the e-cigarette is needed to cause vaporization of the nicotine-propylene glycol solution. Cigarette smoke is produced by combustion at temperatures of up to1000 degrees Centigrade, which is highly destructive, breaking up tobacco into free radicals and many small harmful gas molecules such as carbon monoxide, butadiene, benzene etc.
Conclusion. Mist from the e-cigarette is created by vaporizing a liquid, while smoke is created by incinerating plant material. Mist and smoke differ profoundly in composition and safety profile.
Overall conclusion. Several toxicants in headspace of the Ruyan® e-cigarette cartridge have, on some tests, been found, specifically acrolein and acetaldehyde, at very low levels, and at levels below those determined to be harmful, and well below the minimum risk levels accepted by the US Public Health Service and OSHA. The results obtained to date do not mitigate this reports overall conclusion that the Ruyan® e-cigarette is designed to be a safe alternative to smoking, and appears to be safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Direct tests of the safety of the e-cigarette mist are in their final stage.
The full Report can be found here.
18 October 2008
Competency - The author has authored or co-authored over 30 research papers and reports in national and international scientific medical journals since 1995, on smoking, and latterly on testing of cigarettes and cigarette substitutes.
Financial disclosure. This report is funded by Ruyan.
Disclaimer. Apart from research Health New Zealand derives no financial benefit from Ruyan.
Limitation. Unless the contrary is stated, findings refer specifically to Ruyan®e-cigarettes only.
If you disagree with the decision to ban the electronic cigarette ... I'd like to invite you to go to the Regulation of Tobacco Products comment page and voice your opinion.
The Society for Research on Nicotine
and Tobacco (SRNT) Dublin Aprol 30, 2009 powerpoint results
disclosure sheet Their aim was to assess the Ruyan brand of
electronic cigarette and mist for safety, emissions and nicotine
dose. The facilities listed below took part in this study. The report can be accessed here.
Environmental Science and Research, Porirua, NZ
Hill Laboratories, NZ
Hort Reasearch, Hamilton, NZ
Labstat International ULC, Canada
Lincoln University, NZ
National Radiation Laboratory of NZ
Syft Technologies Ltd. Chistchurch, NZ
British American Tobacco, Group R&D (Southampton, UK)
Duke University Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research (CNSCR) Bioanalytical Lab. NC USA
