Comparison of the effects of e-cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke on indoor air quality

Introduced in the United States in 2007, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have quickly become a popular substitute for traditional tobacco cigarettes (Ayers et al., 2011). This substitution appears to be due to health concerns of smokers, increased cost of tobacco cigarettes, and indoor smoking restrictions (Etter & Bullen, 2011). A number of surveys and studies have shown that a substantial number of smokers significantly reduce tobacco use and/or transition completely from tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes. (Bullen et al., 2010; Etter, 2010; Etter & Bullen, 2011; Foulds et al., 2011; McQueen et al., 2011; Polosa et al., 2011; Siegel et al., 2011). Currently, there are only two states that have a statewide ban on e-cigarette use in places where smoking is prohibited. However, dozens of municipalities and counties have discussed and/or introduced pending legislation that would ban the use of e-cigarettes where smoking is prohibited. Prior studies have examined e-cigarettes and e-liquids using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to assess the nature and concentrations of pollutants generated from e-cigarettes with different e-liquids (FDA, 2009; Laugesen et al., 2008; Trehy et al., 2011; Lauterbach et al., 2012). Although studies have provided information on the pollutants that could be generated from the vapors, there are no peer reviewed studies that assessed the impact of these air pollutants on overall indoor air quality and exposures.