Cherry flavored electronic cigarettes were found to irritate the airways more than any other types, suggests the laboratory study.
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Benzaldehyde is routinely used in foodstuffs and cosmetics and is a key ingredient in 'natural' fruit flavourings, but it has been shown to irritate the airways in animal and workplace exposure studies.
The 145 e-cigarettes were grouped according to their labelling: berry/tropical fruit (40); tobacco (37); alcohol (15); chocolate/sweet (11); coffee/tea (11); mint/menthol (10); cherry (10); and 'other' (11). Benzaldehyde was detected in 108 out of 145 e-cigarettes, with the highest levels detected in the cherry flavoured products. Yields of the chemical were around 43 times higher than in these products. The researchers wrote that although e-cigarettes may be a promising harm reduction tool for smokers, the findings indicate that using these products could result in repeated inhalation of benzaldehyde, with long term users risking regular exposure to the substance. The study is published online in Thorax.
Source-ANI