According to the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 33.8% of middle and high school students in the United States reported having been exposed to second-hand e-cigarette aerosols in an indoor space. But little is known about how inhaling the heated metals, flavors, and other chemicals in e-cigarettes can affect your health.
So, what are the negative health effects of second-hand smoke from e-cigarettes? Missouri State Science and Technology Toxicologists are working to classify the physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of second-hand smoke produced by indoor electronic nicotine delivery systems.
Dr. Yue-Wan Huang, a professor of biological sciences at the Missouri Institute of Technology, and his collaborator, Dr. Yang Wang, an assistant professor at the University of Miami, have invented a simulated breathing system that mimics an artificial lung, with inhalation and exhalation. did. Just like people smoke. His graduate student, Ta-Chun Lin, used AI prompts to code the breathing system and automate a system that simulates human smoke behavior, and the team is applying for a patent for the device.
Despite extensive research on primary aerosols produced by e-cigarettes, the characteristics of second-hand smoke are not well understood because aerosols must be generated using a human device. Mr. Huang says.
“Typically, to look at these types of health problems, you have to do human-to-human studies, where one person smokes an e-cigarette and the other person is sprayed with the smoke and inhales it.” says Huang. “However, since each person has a different health background and condition, we can limit variables by using a simulated respiratory system to mimic human behavior. It is coded to inhale and exhale in four seconds, then pause and enjoy the smoke for 30 seconds, much like a person takes a puff from a cigarette.”
Huang said the original idea for the project came from working with Wang to test fabrics for COVID-19 face protection. The two found that the filters were able to block some types of aerosols much better than others.
“At first I thought it was a far-fetched idea to apply that research to smoking, but he did it,” Huang said. “We are currently collaborating on this project, with Jan investigating the characteristics of the aerosol itself, and me investigating the biological aspects of organic compounds found in things like liquid flavors and nicotine.”
Dr. Huang will discuss how second-hand smoke occurs in controlled environments, how second-hand aerosols induce oxidative stress and cytotoxicity, and how metals and fragrances in second-hand smoke contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We want to answer questions such as: What is our role?
“Passive smoke continues to contribute to cardiovascular disease, reduced cell viability, increased oxidative stress, and altered epigenetic events, all of which are associated with lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. “There could be,” Huang said. “This research has the potential to generate innovative understanding of the behavior and control of indoor second-hand aerosols and help the public form informed opinions about e-cigarette use.”
About Missouri Technological University
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university with more than 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Missouri S&T, part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, offers more than 100 degrees in 40 fields of study and ranks among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact. Masu. wall street journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.
