Electronic Cigarettes: Helpful or Harmful?

Jess Baldonado, Haley DelagnesWhitefish High School

Mr. Spangler

Leading Question

● Should electronic cigarettes be legal to use in public?o How does the use of electronic cigarettes

affect air quality?o Are the substances affecting the air harmful

towards health?

Introduction

● Our interest was sparked by:o recent development of electronic cigarette

industryo limited regulationso controversy of the topic

What is the vapor made of? Is it harmful to health of clients? Is it harmful to health of innocent

bystanders? What are the long term effects?

Background● What does PM 2.5 mean?

o It stands for Particulate Matter that is 2.5 pm in diameter or smaller. A strand of human hair is 60pm.

● What is the EPA limit for PM 2.5?o The maximum daily limit is 30-35 micrograms per cubic

meter. Average annually is 13-14 micrograms.● Health concerns related to PM 2.5?

o There is a direct link from particulate matter and asthma. Since we spend the majority of our time indoors it is important we are breathing clean air.

● Percent of time indoors?o We spend typically 80% or more inside.

Background

● Hit public market in 2007, since then has created an annual revenue of $1 billion

● Electronic cigarettes don’t contain tobacco

● Electronic cigarette liquid “E-juice”o propylene glycolo nicotineo polyethylene glycol o concentrated flavorso vegetable glycerine

Background● Nicotine

o Damages osteoblasts (University of Texas)o Damages tissue around arteries (Brown

University)o Leads to diseases such as atherosclerosis or

PADo Could result in amputation if gone untreated

● Propylene Glycolo Used in engine coolants and antifreezeo Provokes allergic reactionso Buildup in bloodstream leads to coma,

convulsions, and heart problems (Joe King, M.S.)

Hypothesis

● Air quality PM levels would substantially rise while electronic cigarettes are in use.

Method

● Placed DustTrak where user regularly operates electronic cigarette

● Electronic cigarette was around 3 feet from DustTrak

● Compared PM levels from throughout the day to when the electronic cigarette was in use

StairsCouch

Television

Dust Trak

Toy Box

Toy Box

Doll House

User

View of room

View of DustTrak

View of room

Materials

● Vision Battery● Aspire Cartomizer● 12 mg/ml “E-Juice”

o Cool Mint Menthol Flavoringo Purchased from eCig Vapor Juice Store in

Kalispell

Vision Battery

Aspire Cartomizer

“E-Juice”

Results

● Start time: January 24, 2014 6:40 pm● End Time: January 25, 2014 2:30 pm● Ran DustTrak just under 18 hours● Minimum PM levels were .003 mg/m^3● Maximum PM levels were 18.354

mg/m^3● Average PM levels were .105 mg/m^3

Results

● Electronic cigarette used from 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm

● Maximum PM level recorded at 10:18 pm

● PM levels were under recommended amount when electronic cigarette was not in use

Line Graph of Results

● PM levels substantially rose during the use of electronic cigaretteo 17,480 times greater than average PM levelo 611,800 times greater than minimum PM level

● Proves hypothesis correct

Discussion

Possible Errors

● Unrealistic proximity to DustTrak● Changing variables damaging results

o Animalso Cookingo Fire burningo Force of exhale

Conclusion

● The FDA should regulate where electronic cigarettes are allowed to be usedo Electronic cigarettes severely raise PM levels

in the air when in useo Harmful substances are being exhaled

● Electronic cigarettes can be beneficialo When used as a method to quit smokingo Not to be used as a gateway to bad behavior

Improvements

● Comparing PM levels of traditional cigarettes to electronic cigarettes

● Sampling vapor to understand exact substances it contains

● Comparing different nicotine levels● Looking more in depth at the time it

takes for PM levels to reach “normal”

References● Kelly, John. "When E-smokers Breathe Out, What Do We Breathe

In?" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 29 May 2013. Web. 23 May 2014.

● King, Joe, M.S. "Side Effects of Vegetable Glycerin." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 May 2014.

● Saey, Tina H. "Nicotine May Damage Arteries." Science News. 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 23 May 2014.

Acknowledgements

We learned a lot through working on this project and would like to thank:● Mr. Spangler

o For bringing the project to Whitefish High School

● Air Toxics Under the Big Sky programo For supplying us with a DustTrak

● Electronic cigarette usero Letting us in his home and providing us with

results