E-Cigarettes - Review of risk assessment model

Former studies on e-cigarettes commissioned by the Austrian Consumer Council have focused on long-term effects of e-cigarette use and suggested limits were based on an estimated absorbed daily dose of inhaled pollutants. However, the actual exposure when vaping e-cigarettes consists of a series of high peak concentrations (lasting for seconds) followed by a (recovery) period of no exposure. Concentrations may be very high during exposure and exceed work place limits considerably. This is particularly relevant for concentration dependent short-term effects like sensory irritation. Conversely, irritation effects are reversible, exposure time is limited, vapours are diluted and the (voluntary) exposure can be controlled by the user. This issue needs further thought and debate.

In the second part of the project the purpose was to reconsider the risk assessment model used for calculating the suggested preliminary limit values in the former projects carried out for the Consumer Council. Newer e-cigarette models produce considerably more vapour (lower resistance) compared to earlier models. Hence, the limits suggested previously should be reduced by a factor of 3.

The study can be downloaded using the link below.