E-cigarettes often considered a safer alternative option to smoking tobacco, may not be so safe. A study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives by researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the United States says that the electronic devices generate aerosols with unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese and or nickel. Inhalation of these metals can result in problems with the lung, liver, cardiovascular, brain damage, and even cancers.

Vaping, the practice of inhaling the aerosol like a cigarette smoke is quite popular among teenagers, youngsters, and former smokers. It is popular as it provides the nicotine hit along with the look and feel of tobacco-smoking. However, it comes with smoking's extreme health risks which prove vaping isn't completely safe.

Talking about vaping among the younger generation, PTI quoted senior author, Ana María Rule as saying, "It's important for the FDA, the e-cigarette companies, and vapers themselves to know that these heating coils, as currently made, seem to be leaking toxic metals–which then get into the aerosols that vapers inhale."

For the study, 56 daily e-cigarette users from vaping conventions and e-cigarette shops around Baltimore participated. The scientists tested and found the presence of 15 metals in the e-liquids in the coil-containing e-cigarette tanks and in the generated aerosols.

Just like their previous studies, they found minimal amounts of metals in e-liquids within refilling dispensers, however, there were much larger amounts of some metals in the e-liquids which had been exposed to the heating coils within e-cigarette tanks.

From the difference, it has been concluded that the metals had come from the coils. Among the metals present in the aerosols, lead, chromium, nickel, and manganese are the most toxic ones when inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency said that almost 50 percent of aerosol samples had lead concentrations higher than health-based limits.

However, the source of the lead and how metals get into the surrounding e-liquid remains a mystery. The researchers also said that the concentration of e-cigarettes was higher with the ones who frequently used fresher coils. The refill e-liquid also detected significant levels of arsenic.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2018 01:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).