E-cigarettes have harmful chemicals: HKBU

ExpertsexplaintheirresearchduringapressconferenceofHongKongCouncilonSmokingandHealth(COSH)inWanChaionFeb29,2016.(RoyLiu/ChinaDaily)

(CHINADAILY) TestsbyHongKongBaptistUniversity(HKBU)showcontroversiale-cigarettespushinghardforadmissionintotheHongKongmarketcontaindeadlychemicals.

Researchundertakenon13,randomlyselectedbrandsofe-cigarettes,providedbytheHongKongCouncilonSmokingandHealthshowtheycontainharmfulchemicalssuchasformaldehyde,polycyclicaromatichydrocarbons(PAHs),andothertoxins.

PAHs,derivedfrompetroleumhydrocarboncontaminationandtheburningofotherorganicmaterials,areknowncarcinogens,thatposerisksofmalformationrisksofhumantissue,potentiallyleadingtocancer.

TheresultshowedthatthehighestlevelofPAHsconcentrationfromfumesinconcentratedsolutionreachesto504.5nanograms/ml,almost1milliontimesmoreconcentratedthanlevelsinHongKong'soutdoorurbanenvironment.

Testede-cigaretteswerealsofoundtocontainhighamountsofpolybrominateddiphenylethers(PBDEs),flameretardantscommonlyusedonfurniture,automobileinteriors,textilesandplasticproducts.

PBDEscreateariskofdisruptionofthyroidhormonesandreducedfertility.Theyalsoposerisksforfetaldevelopmentandmaycausecancers.

Thisisa"clearsign"thate-cigaretteswillaffecthumanhealth,saidViennaLai,executivedirectoroftheHongKongCouncilonSmokingandHealth.TheCouncilurgesthegovernmenttobane-cigarettes.

TheHongKongCouncilonSmokingandHealthalsoreleasedasurveyconductedbytheSchoolofPublicHealthattheUniversityofHongKongtomonitorprevalenceofe-cigarettesuse.

Thesurveyshowsthatamongrespondentswhohadusede-cigarettesinthepast30days,7.9percentageareyoungsmokers,between15to29.Thatishigherthepercentagefoundamongotheragegroups.