E-cigarettes: What’s inside the typical vape?

Many use e-cigarettes or vapes as a safer alternative to smoking, but countries are warning about its dangers. Look inside one and you’ll see why.

Smokers choose to vape because most e-cigs don’t contain cancer-causing tobacco.

However, they contain arguably worse substances like those found in antifreeze and paint solvents. 

READ: How to stay safe in poor air quality

The Conversation tore down a standard, single-use vape to see what makes it tick.

As a result, the organization discovered that vapes are also pollution hazards.

What are the components of an e-cigarette?

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The Conversation says e-cigarettes or vapes contain a battery, a pressure sensor, a LED indicator, a heating component and an e-liquid container.

The former is also known as the “juice.” Take a drag on a vape, and the sensor will activate, using battery energy to vaporize the juice into smoke.

You can purchase a single-use vape at your local convenience store or a reusable one at specialty stores. The latter lets you try significantly more e-liquid flavors by filling its tank with new ones. 

Nowadays, many use and discard single-use vapes, which may cause many environmental issues. That is why The Conversation disassembled one to estimate the risks:

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The Conversation discovered that single-use e-cigarettes cause a significant loss of valuable materials, such as aluminum and lithium.

Worse, throwing them away leaves numerous lithium batteries that could explode and endanger waste management workers.

Vapes also contain chemicals that are toxic to the environment.

What are the chemicals in an e-cigarette?

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The American Lung Association says the Food and Drug Administration has not fully reviewed the ingredients of e-liquids, so it has not issued any relevant standards.

READ: Nicotine-free vapes can damage lungs

However, researchers have discovered troubling chemicals common in all e-cigarettes: 

They contain heavy metals like nickel, lead and tin. Also, e-cigarette smoke carries ultrafine particles that can enter the lungs. 

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