L’étude italienne ClearStream Air sur la vapeur émise par la cigarette électronique a été présentée par le Dr Giorgio Romagna lors du dernier congrès de la SRNT Europe [1]. Elle est maintenant publique et montre, à la suite d’une autre étude allemande récente [Scripp & al., 2], que vapoter ne présente pas de risque notoire pour les personnes environnantes.
Mise à jour 24.09.2012
La vapeur passive est-elle une réalité ? Étude Clearstream : le texte est disponible en français sur le site Je ne fume plus, je vape !
Methods
A 60m3 closed-room was used for the experiment. Two sessions were organized, the first using 5 smokers and the second using 5 users of e-cigarette. Both sessions lasted 5 hours. Between sessions, the room was cleaned and ventilated for 65 hours. Smokers used cigarettes containing 0,6 mg of nicotine while e-CIG users used commercially available liquid (FlavourArt) with nicotine concentration of 11 mg/ml.
During the smoking session, 19 cigarettes were smoked, administering 11.4 mg of nicotine (according to cigarette pack information).
During the e-CIG session, 1,6 ml of liquid was consumed, administering 17,6 mg of nicotine.
Results
We measured total organic carbon (TOC), toluene, xylene, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), nicotine, acrolein, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) glycerin and propylene glycol levels on the air of the room.
During the smoking session we found:
Compound | Qty |
Total Organic Carbon | 6,66 mg/m3 |
Toluene | 1,7 μg/m3 |
Xylene | 0,2 μg/m3 |
Carbon Monoxide (CO) | 11 mg/m3 |
Nicotine | 34 μg/m3 |
Acrolein | 20 μg/m3 |
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons | 9,4 μg/m3 |
No glycerin, propylene glycol and NOx were detected after the smoking session | n/a |
During the e-CIG session we found:
Compound | Qty |
Total Organic Carbon | 0,73 mg/m3 |
Toluene | none |
Xylene | none |
Carbon Monoxide (CO) | none |
Nicotine | none |
Acrolein | none |
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons | none |
Glycerin | 72 μg/m3 |
Conclusions
Passive vaping is expected from the use of e-cigarette. However, the quality and quantity of chemicals released to the environment are by far less harmful for the human health compared to regular tobacco cigarettes. Evaporation instead of burning, absence of several harmful chemicals from the liquids and absence of sidestream smoking from the use of the e-CIG are probable reasons for the difference in results.
Comments
Among all, the most interesting aspect we observed was that nicotine was not detected in air during the e-smoking session, although liquids used for experiments contained it. Five vapers using e-cigarettes for 5 hours in a small room without renewal of indoor air do not produce detectable levels of nicotine in the air. On the other hand, 34 μg/m3 of nicotine were found during the smoking session. It should be made clear that, according to the information on packs, the amount of nicotine inhaled by smokers was about 11,4 mg, while the amount of nicotine inhaled by vapers was about 17,6 mg. However the amount of nicotine reported on packs is the inhaled amount. This information does not give details about the real amount of nicotine inside the cigarettes and released in the air during combustion and from side stream smoke.
Based on the observed results, we can conclude that cigarette smoking produces nicotine contamination in the air at least 35 times higher than e-smoking. This means that we need at least 35 vapers to produce nicotine level in air similar to the level produced by a single smoker.
Results on propylene glycol were also unexpected. During e-smoking tests, propylene glycol was not detected, although 50 % of liquid consisted of propylene glycol.
Références
- Characterization of chemicals released to the environment by electronic cigarettes use (ClearStream-AIR project): is passive vaping a reality?
G. Romagna & al. ; XIV Annual Meeting of the SRNT Europe 2012, Helsinki, Finland, texte et poster. - Des études confirment la sécurité de la vapeur de cigarette électronique
Doit-on comprendre "pas de nicotine dans l'air donc pas de traces des deux principales nitrosamines spécifiques du tabac (TSNA) directement liées à la nicotine (NNN, NNK)" ?
Rédigé par : Mcigarette | 24/09/2012 à 09:50
Ces nitrosamines du tabac peuvent être détectées dans trois contextes :
1°) dans le e-liquide
2°) dans la vapeur inhalée
3°) dans la vapeur expirée
Cette étude relative à la toxicité éventuelle de la vapeur exhalée n'a pas cherché à détecter de nitrosamines (lire le texte du rapport).
Mais comme elles sont déjà à la limite de détection dans les e-liquides du commerce, il semble impossible que l'on puisse en détecter - je ne dis pas mesurer mais "détecter" - dans la vapeur après inhalation à moins que ces nitrosamines nocives soient générées par les poumons. Ce qui semble très improbable pour autant que je sache.
Rédigé par : Randall | 24/09/2012 à 10:03