Dangerous chemicals discovered in e-cigarettes
Published: Wednesday, Feb 28th 2024, 17:10
Updated At: Wednesday, Feb 28th 2024, 17:10
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E-cigarettes contain dangerous chemicals. In a laboratory analysis, several carcinogenic or corrosive substances were detected in electronic cigarettes of the Iqos brand. The analysis was commissioned by Blaues Kreuz Bern-Solothurn-Freiburg.
Four Iqos tobacco sticks were tested for so-called perpetual chemicals (PFAS, per- and polyfluorinated chemicals), as the Blue Cross announced on Wednesday. These chemicals are associated with a number of health and environmental problems. They are called "eternal" because they do not degrade in the environment.
The Austrian laboratory was able to detect four different perfluorochemicals: perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluorocaproic acid, perfluorobutanoic acid and 4:2-fluorotelomer sulfonic acid. These can cause severe skin burns and serious eye damage or are carcinogenic, according to the Blue Cross.
The cigarette pack for the analysis was purchased from the Blue Cross in December 2023 and handed over to the laboratory in its original packaging. For the analysis, four cigarette parts were crushed and prepared with the respective cigarette paper.
Better than conventional cigarettes
However, the manufacturer of Iqos cigarettes, Philip Morris, emphasized to the Keystone-SDA news agency that they perform better than conventional cigarettes. "Our research shows that Iqos significantly reduces the average threshold levels of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes," wrote a Philip Morris spokesperson.
According to the company spokesperson, this product is not risk-free either, but it is demonstrably better for adult smokers to switch from normal cigarettes to Iqos. In order to understand the differences between the two products, the Iqos aerosol had to be compared with cigarette smoke. The company was unable to comment on the specific results of the laboratory test as they did not have the detailed results of the study.
©Keystone/SDA
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