Chemical Linked To ‘Popcorn Lung’ Disease Is Found In 75% Of Flavoured E-Cigarettes

A toxic chemical that is linked to a type of lung disease has been found in flavoured e-cigarettes.

Diacetyl, thought to cause a disease known as “popcorn lung”, or bronchiolitis obliterans, was found in more than 75 per cent of flavoured e-cigarettes and refill liquids in a study by Harvard University.

The disease was dubbed popcorn lung because it was first seen in workers who inhaled artificial butter flavour in microwave popcorn processing plants.

Diacteyl is used as a butter substitute in flavours like cotton candy and cupcake and is thought to be safe when eaten, but could have harmful effects when inhaled, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the US.

The Harvard study’s lead author Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment sciences, told the Harvard Gazette: “Recognition of the hazards associated with inhaling flavouring chemicals started with ‘popcorn lung’ over a decade ago.

“However, diacetyl and other related flavouring chemicals are used in many other flavours beyond butter-flavoured popcorn, including fruit flavours, alcohol flavours, and, we learned in our study, candy-flavoured e-cigarettes.”

There are more than 7,000 types of flavoured e-cigarettes and refills on the vaping market. Diacetyl was detected in 39 of the 51 flavours tested in the Harvard study.

“Since most of the health concerns about e-cigarettes have focused on nicotine, there is still much we do not know about e-cigarettes,” said study co-author David Christiani, Elkan Blout professor of environmental genetics at Harvard.

“In addition to containing varying levels of the addictive substance nicotine, they also contain other cancer-causing chemicals, such as formaldehyde, and as our study shows, flavouring chemicals that can cause lung damage.”

(Picture: Rex)