Exposure to certain harmful chemicals among individuals reporting exclusive cigarette use, exclusive e-cigarette use, and dual use of combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes, 2018-2019
People who use both e-cigarettes and cigarettes were exposed to about the same amount of certain harmful chemicals (volatile organic compounds, i.e., VOCs) as those who smoke only cigarettes at similar smoking intensity. However, their exposure was also significantly higher than that of people who use only e-cigarettes.
Footnote
Exposure to harmful chemicals is measured by three volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as, N-Acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine (AAMA), N-Acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine (CYMA), and N-Acetyl-S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine (CEMA). CPD = Number of cigarettes smoked per day and ECIGS = Frequency of e-cigarette use per day. The bars represent adjusted geometric means and boxes represent the 95% confidence intervals of biomarkers of exposure based on weighted multivariate regression analysis. Shared letters indicate no statistically significant difference between groups (eg, groups sharing “a” denotes no significant difference between groups; groups with different letters, “a” and “b,” denotes a significant difference between groups). ng/mg creatinine = nanograms per milligram, normalized for creatinine.
Source
- Zheng Xue, Eva Orr-Souza, Nigar Nargis, Minal Patel, Tyler Nighbor, Nicotine and Toxicant Exposure among Individuals using both Combustible Cigarettes and E-cigarettes Based on Level of Product Use, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 27, Issue 9, September 2025, Pages 1591–1599, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf053