Ten years after its appearance, and even with his great success on a global scale, there are still many unknowns about the device of the electronic cigarette . This new but already popular product is a source of ongoing debate. Is it hazardous to health , does not she . Until now, we can say that the opinions on the subject are still divided and nothing is fixed . Everyone looks forward to the establishment of a definitive legislation and unanimous scientific answers , which is still far from being the case . However , there is a question whose answer is absolutely certain: this is a 100 % sure to be safer than traditional cigarettes made with tobacco. No combustion takes place with the use of an e- cigarette does not produce tar or carbon monoxide or all toxic inhalants smoking . The electronic cigarette is eminently less harmful than real cigarettes.
Health officials are still worried about the effect of the use of this innovative product in the long term , including the special e- liquid used in the device to produce steam . We all know that many studies have been conducted to learn more about the composition of the vapor produced by the electronic cigarette and another study has just been completed . It is that of Professor Konstantinos Farsalinos researcher Cardiology Center Onassis Cardiac Surgery , Kallithea , Greece, also practicing in Gathuisberg Hospital , Leuven , Belgium. The result of this study was already expected and was published in the journal Inhalation Toxicology , there is not very long.
For this study , the investigators conducted the observation presented in two different culture media , the first living cells with vapor electronic cigarette and the second with the smoke from the real cigarette .
The purpose of the experiment was therefore to study and compare the effects of those steam smoke on a living organism. To do this, the scientists who worked on the study , used what we call " test UNI ISO 10993-5 ." It is a protocol for measuring the toxicity of cigarette smoke tobacco and that they have a little revised to fit the vapor e- cigarettes.
The realization principle of this protocol is to draw a given amount of smoke or vapor and to " chill out " later in a flask containing living cells. In this study, " bubbled " means inserting a tube into the vial serving as culture medium by passing steam or smoke in the form of gas bubbles. In addition to the main culture medium , "normal" , without steam or smoke, several other culture media are prepared in advance, but this time , it is contaminated culture media , it is say vials in which was " bubbled " steam or smoke. Living cells are used " BALB/3T3 " , which are of mouse muscle cells , specifically , cells extracted on white mice even when embryos . With these many vials, representing completely identical and well specified experimental conditions, researchers can easily make comparisons of results, even with gaps indeterminate time .
The first observation concerns the survival of cells 24 hours of incubation , first in a normal environment and once these cells have completely lined the bottom of the flask in a homogeneous way , they are transferred to a medium contaminated with steam or smoke . After a period of 24 hours, a culture medium qualifies as " cytotoxic " notes when there is less than 70 % of the population of cells to survive .
Here is the diagram of curves representing the observed results . This graph shows the survival rate of cells BALB/MT3 fibroblasts according to the dilution of the culture medium contaminated with traditional cigarette or steam electronic cigarette . In this diagram , the toxicity threshold of 70 % survival is shown in dotted outline .
Cell viability
As can be seen , the curves are almost viability all located above this threshold value . But what is also highlighted on this chart is the fact that the culture media "contaminated" by the vapor electronic cigarette can not be considered to be toxic to cells.
Certainly, one can also see that the culture medium containing the coffee taste , is exceptionally survival rate is well below 51 %, but according to the authors of this experience, this could be explained by the presence of other chemical species aromas of coffee could make a little more toxic environment. What is important is the data on all of the cells cultured in the culture media together with steam . Remarkably, the different rates of cell survival in these individuals environments beyond all levels in vials containing tobacco smoke : it is 8 times higher.
This therefore shows that the vapor from the electronic cigarette is much less dangerous than tobacco smoke .
We can conclude that this is another result of very motivating study for smokers wishing to get rid of extreme harmfulness of tobacco cigarettes but this also represents hope for manufacturers of electronic cigarette .
However, the authors of the research caution that these results do not necessarily apply to all e- liquids that can be found on the successful market of electronic cigarette. As in every business , there is always counterfeit products and therefore it is not impossible to find e- liquid of very poor quality . Nevertheless , such results will always encouraging especially for users of the electronic cigarette .
Today , the electronic cigarette is not accessible to minors, including those who are already smokers and looking for an effective and reassuring way to help them out. This new law is mainly based on the fact that the new product vogue encourage young people and older people to start smoking tobacco . But remember that there is no study so far on the fact that the electronic cigarette would be a gateway to nicotine addiction or smoking to door.
