Second-hand smoke has long been a concern for non-smokers who are worried about the risk to their health. A new study from the University of Southern California has shown an overall 10-fold decrease in exposure to harmful particles in electronic cigarette devices in comparison to traditional tobacco products.
The study has shown that while tobacco smoke contains high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – cancer-causing organic compounds – the level of exposure to these substances was reduced to almost zero in second-hand e-cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes do not burn organic materials in the same way that traditional cigarettes do. Constantinos Sioutas, professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and corresponding author of the study commented: "Our results demonstrate that overall electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes.”
This study was entirely conducted in offices and rooms to simulate real-life exposure conditions, and involved volunteer subjects smoking ordinary cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Researchers collected particles in the indoor air and studied the chemical content and sources of the samples.
