If you’re vaping a flavored liquid blend out of your electronic cigarette, chances are you’re going to be inhaling a group of flavoring chemicals suspected to be behind certain respiratory problems — particularly, what is known as popcorn lung.
While popcorn lung might sound like a joke, bronchiolitis obliterans (OB) is not. Not only is the condition serious, but is presently irreversible. It entails the scarring of tiny air sacs within the lungs.
Back in 2004, the CDC reported multiple documented cases of popcorn factory workers who had been diagnosed with the serious respiratory condition. An investigation into the cases, which was conducted by the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH), found the flavoring agent diacetyl to be a likely contributor to the development of the condition. It was from these cases that the condition, known as “popcorn lung,” received its name, as the condition first appeared in those who worked in microwave popcorn processing plants.
More recently, researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who were examining e-juices in order to determine the presence of not only diacetyl, but acetoin and 2,3-pentanedione, found that across the 51 brands examined, over 90 percent were contaminated by at least one of the three flavor enhancing chemicals.
The study’s findings were reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Joseph Allen, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of exposure assessment science, explained that while the possible health risk associated with inhaling flavoring chemicals became apparent more than a decade prior, it wasn’t until he and his colleagues explored the possibility of such chemicals contained within e-juices that the high percentage of e-juices contaminated with potentially harmful flavoring chemicals became apparent.
Recognition of the hazards associated with inhaling flavoring chemicals started with ‘Popcorn Lung’ over a decade ago. However, diacetyl and other related flavoring chemicals are used in many other flavors beyond butter-flavored popcorn, including fruit flavors, alcohol flavors, and, we learned in our study, candy flavored e-cigarettes
Medical Daily reports that while the chemicals the researchers were examining could be responsible for the progressive disease known as OB, they are only believed to be harmful when inhaled and are otherwise safe for human consumption.
It’s worth noting that while there are thousands of e-juice options to choose from on today’s market, the researchers only examined 51 types — all of which were sold by top brands in the industry.
In Colorado, a microwave popcorn consumer — who ate two bags a day for a decade — received a more than $7 million legal settlement after they were diagnosed with popcorn lung.
