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?

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:

• Housing: Single-use vapes usually have an aluminum casing with a paint finish. On the other hand, reusable ones have sturdier materials, letting users refill and customize them.
• Battery: Disposable e-cigarettes have lithium batteries despite being non-rechargeable. They contain an ample amount of charge, powering a test light bulb for an hour. 
• Sensor: Vapes have a semiconductor that detects air pressure changes, letting them activate the heating element only when you’re taking a drag. 
• Heating element: Also known as a vaporizer, it receives an electric current to heat e-liquid.
• E-liquid tank: It contains the juice and connects to an absorbent foam connected to the heating element. 

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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?

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: 

• Nicotine is the highly addictive substance found in tobacco that can harm teen brain development. 
• Propylene glycol is a common food additive. Moreover, it is part of manufacturing antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke from fog machines.
• Carcinogens are cancer-causing chemicals like acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.
• Acrolein is a weed-killing herbicide that causes irreversible lung damage.
• Diacetyl can cause bronchitis obliterans or “popcorn lung.”
• Diethylene glycol is an antifreeze ingredient that can cause lung disease.
• Cadmium is a toxic metal that causes breathing problems and other health conditions. 
• Benzene is a volatile organic compound from car exhaust.

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