Vape liquid contains a variety of dangerous chemicals and heavy metals, which can cause adverse side effects like coughing, breathing difficulties, and chest pain.
Using vapes simulates smoking cigarettes but, unlike traditional cigarettes, they don’t burn tobacco. Many people believe this makes them a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. However, as we explain below, vapes (otherwise known as e-cigarettes) have their own dangers.
Vape liquid contains volatile compounds and chemicals like benzene, which has carcinogenic properties. It also contains toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, nickel, and chromium. Just like tobacco, many vaping liquids also contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.
Read on to learn more about e-cigarettes, the different chemicals found in vape liquid, and the potentially harmful side effects.
In this post:
What is an e-cigarette?
An e-cigarette is a battery-operated device that has a heating coil and a container for vape liquid. It simulates smoking tobacco by heating up the vape liquid and turning it into an aerosol.
E-cigarette devices come in many shapes and sizes, as shown below. Some imitate traditional tobacco cigarettes while others resemble cigar pipes. 
Invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003, e-cigarettes were designed to be a safer and cleaner alternative to conventional cigarettes. For instance, no cigarette butts or ash is left after vaping and, unlike traditional smoking, there’s also no risk of a fire. You need to push a button to operate the heating coil, which means there’s no way it could cause a fire if left unattended.
An e-cigarette consists of a stylishly shaped casing, battery, heating coil, atomiser, and a vape liquid cartridge. Some e-cigarettes are disguised as ballpoint pens or other devices that are not associated with smoking. 
What chemicals are in vape liquid?
Vape liquids typically contain around 2,000 different types of chemicals. Many of these chemicals are not necessarily harmful but some, such as nicotine and propylene glycol, can pose a serious threat to our health. Here are some of the most common chemicals found in vape liquid.
Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is typically used as an antifreeze for vehicles and as a paint solvent. Its main role in vapes is to create artificial smoke when the vape liquid is aerosolized. Some of the toxic effects of propylene glycol include metabolic acidosis and sepsis-like syndrome.
Vegetable glycerine
Otherwise known as glycerol or glycerine, vegetable glycerine is generally a safe substance that’s commonly used in the food and cosmetics industries. It comes from plant sources like soybean and coconuts. E-cigarettes use vegetable glycerine to carry the nicotine and flavour.
Nicotine
Nicotine is the psycho-pharmacologically active ingredient of tobacco and vape liquids. It’s an addictive substance that can cause dependency by imitating and competing with neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Acrolein
A type of herbicide that’s used to kill weeds, acrolein has toxic effects that can result in acute lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some people who are exposed to this chemical over the long term may also develop asthma or even lung cancer.
Diacetyl
Otherwise known as alpha-diketone, 2,3-butanedione, diacetyl is a volatile substance found in butter flavouring. It functions as an aerosol carrier in vapes. Diacetyl has been linked to a lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans. The disease is also commonly called ‘popcorn lung’ because it causes scarring on the tiny sacs in the lungs that resembles popcorn.
Heavy metals
Vape liquid typically contains heavy metals like tin, nickel, cadmium, and lead. These metals bind with cells, which in some cases can lead to organ malfunction and eventual failure. Heavy metals can also cause breathing problems and other diseases.
Harmful chemicals used in vapes
Not all chemicals found in vape liquid are harmful. Some are virtually inert and pose no health risks. However, there are a handful of substances that can cause serious health problems, especially if you’re exposed to them over a long period. Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are just two examples of the harmful chemicals used in vapes. 
Acetaldehyde
Otherwise known as ethanal, acetaldehyde is a naturally-occurring chemical compound that animals and plants produce in trace amounts as a byproduct of metabolism. It has a strong fruity odour and can be very toxic at high concentrations. In industry, it’s commonly used as a precursor to some important chemicals like acetic acid and polyvinyl acetate. Studies suggest that acetaldehyde is potentially carcinogenic.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is another naturally-occurring chemical that’s produced by organisms as a metabolic byproduct. It’s a colourless substance with a very pungent odour and is flammable in liquid form at room temperature.
Formaldehyde is commonly used to manufacture particle board and plywood. It’s also used as a laboratory preservative for biological specimens and as an embalming fluid. At high concentrations, it can irritate the skin and eyes. When inhaled, the vapour can also cause severe irritation of the respiratory tract.
Is vaping unhealthy?
Although vape liquid is synthetic and does not contain tobacco, many of its ingredients, like nicotine and propylene glycol, are chemically identical to those found in tobacco. Vaping is therefore thought to be virtually as dangerous and unhealthy as smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Side effects of vaping
Vaping has several physiological and neurological side effects that are similar to smoking conventional cigarettes. These side effects are more severe if you use vapes for a prolonged period. Here are some of the most common symptoms and side effects of vaping:
1. Dry mouth and throat
Chronic exposure to aerosolised ingredients such as propylene glycol can irritate the linings of your mouth and throat. This inhibits mucus secretions and causes a dry mouth.
2. Persistent coughing and chest pain
When the respiratory tract becomes dry, the coughing reflex kicks in as our body attempts to expel the irritating substance. Frequent coughing can lead to chest pain as your nerves and muscles become fatigued. 
3. Shortness of breath
If the respiratory tract and lungs are damaged over time, our respiratory system becomes less efficient at oxygenating the blood. This can lead to shortness of breath and other complications like heart ailments.
Summary
Many of the chemicals found in vape liquid are identical to those present in tobacco cigarettes. Some of these chemicals, such as formaldehyde, can irritate the respiratory tract and cause a variety of other potentially harmful side effects. The main active ingredient in vape liquid is nicotine, which is highly addictive. This makes vaping almost as unhealthy as smoking.
