Results of laboratory tests showed that vapors from JUUL system contained 99-percent fewer harmful and potentially harmful constituents compared to cigarette smoke, the American electronic cigarette maker said in a statement Tuesday.
JUUL Labs Inc. said five laboratory studies on the chemical emission profile of the JUUL vaping system were presented at the recent 2019 Joint Conference of the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco Annual Smoke Science and Product Technology Study Groups in Hamburg, Germany.
Two of the five studies examined whether the vapor emissions of the JUUL system caused cytotoxicity or cell death, and the extent to which JUUL aerosol produces volatile organic compounds and harmful and potentially harmful constituents, compared to cigarettes.
According to the American Cancer Society, combustible cigarettes contain more than 7,000 known toxicants, many of which are linked to an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. In part, high heat combustion is responsible for the volatilization and release of these compounds, which is why it is important to understand the heating mechanism of vapor products as an alternative to combustible systems.
The first study examined cell samples that were exposed to vapor from the JUUL system, smoke from a tobacco cigarette and a control aerosol respectively, for a period of 24 hours. It revealed that aerosol emissions from the JUUL system did not cause cell death, compared to the smoke produced by combustible cigarettes which were found to be cytotoxic.
The JUUL system vapor was likewise found to have 99 percent fewer HPHCs than cigarette smoke. Moreover, 95 percent of the analytes tested in the aerosol from the JUUL system were below the level of quantification.
The second study evaluated the JUUL system for levels of select VOCs and HPHCs, such as acrylonitrile, benzene, toluene, diacetyl, acetyl propionyl and crotonaldehyde.
Researchers found that assessed HPHCs were reduced by an average of 99 percent in the aerosol produced from the JUUL system compared to smoke produced from a reference cigarette. It said 95 percent of the analytes tested in the aerosol from the JUUL system were below the level of quantification.
Three additional laboratory studies underscored the importance of stable temperature regulation systems in electronic nicotine delivery systems and how elevated operating temperatures (up to 417°C) could result in the generation of harmful compounds.
Closed-system heating mechanisms, such as the JUUL system, may result in lower levels of chemical exposure, including HPHCs commonly found in combustible cigarettes, due to its consistent temperature control designed to avoid combustion.
“The data presented at CORESTA reinforce our belief in JUUL products as a viable alternative for adult smokers who cannot or will not quit the consumption of nicotine,” said Dr. Josh Vose, vice president for Scientific and Clinical Affairs at JUUL Labs Inc.
“By demonstrating the consistency of the heating mechanism in our system– and the significantly lower levels of assessed HPHCs”•we are building a more robust understanding of how JUUL products can present a potential reduced-risk alternative to combustible cigarettes for adult smokers.”