Electronic Cigarettes: Helpful or Harmful? Jess Baldonado, Haley Delagnes Whitefish High School Mr. Spangler

Leading Question ● Should electronic cigarettes be legal to use in public? o How does the use of electronic cigarettes affect air quality? o Are the substances affecting the air harmful towards health?

Introduction ● Our interest was sparked by: o recent development of electronic cigarette industry o limited regulations o controversy of the topic  What is the vapor made of?  Is it harmful to health of clients?  Is it harmful to health of innocent bystanders?  What are the long term effects?

Background ● What does PM 2.5 mean? o It stands for Particulate Matter that is 2.5 pm in diameter or smaller. A strand of human hair is 60pm. ● What is the EPA limit for PM 2.5? o The maximum daily limit is micrograms per cubic meter. Average annually is micrograms. ● Health concerns related to PM 2.5? o There is a direct link from particulate matter and asthma. Since we spend the majority of our time indoors it is important we are breathing clean air. ● Percent of time indoors? o We spend typically 80% or more inside.

Background ● Hit public market in 2007, since then has created an annual revenue of $1 billion ● Electronic cigarettes don’t contain tobacco ● Electronic cigarette liquid “E-juice” o propylene glycol o nicotine o polyethylene glycol o concentrated flavors o vegetable glycerine

Background ● Nicotine o Damages osteoblasts (University of Texas) o Damages tissue around arteries (Brown University) o Leads to diseases such as atherosclerosis or PAD o Could result in amputation if gone untreated ● Propylene Glycol o Used in engine coolants and antifreeze o Provokes allergic reactions o Buildup in bloodstream leads to coma, convulsions, and heart problems (Joe King, M.S.)

Hypothesis ● Air quality PM levels would substantially rise while electronic cigarettes are in use.

Method ● Placed DustTrak where user regularly operates electronic cigarette ● Electronic cigarette was around 3 feet from DustTrak ● Compared PM levels from throughout the day to when the electronic cigarette was in use

Stairs Couch Television Dust Trak Toy Box Doll House User

View of room

View of DustTrak

View of room

Materials ● Vision Battery ● Aspire Cartomizer ● 12 mg/ml “E-Juice” o Cool Mint Menthol Flavoring o Purchased from eCig Vapor Juice Store in Kalispell

Vision Battery Aspire Cartomizer “E-Juice”

Results ● Start time: January 24, :40 pm ● End Time: January 25, :30 pm ● Ran DustTrak just under 18 hours ● Minimum PM levels were.003 mg/m^3 ● Maximum PM levels were mg/m^3 ● Average PM levels were.105 mg/m^3

Results ● Electronic cigarette used from 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm ● Maximum PM level recorded at 10:18 pm ● PM levels were under recommended amount when electronic cigarette was not in use

Line Graph of Results

● PM levels substantially rose during the use of electronic cigarette o 17,480 times greater than average PM level o 611,800 times greater than minimum PM level ● Proves hypothesis correct Discussion

Possible Errors ● Unrealistic proximity to DustTrak ● Changing variables damaging results o Animals o Cooking o Fire burning o Force of exhale

Conclusion ● The FDA should regulate where electronic cigarettes are allowed to be used o Electronic cigarettes severely raise PM levels in the air when in use o Harmful substances are being exhaled ● Electronic cigarettes can be beneficial o When used as a method to quit smoking o Not to be used as a gateway to bad behavior

Improvements ● Comparing PM levels of traditional cigarettes to electronic cigarettes ● Sampling vapor to understand exact substances it contains ● Comparing different nicotine levels ● Looking more in depth at the time it takes for PM levels to reach “normal”

References ● Kelly, John. "When E-smokers Breathe Out, What Do We Breathe In?" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 29 May Web. 23 May ● King, Joe, M.S. "Side Effects of Vegetable Glycerin." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug Web. 23 May ● Saey, Tina H. "Nicotine May Damage Arteries." Science News. 17 Dec Web. 23 May 2014.

Acknowledgements We learned a lot through working on this project and would like to thank: ● Mr. Spangler o For bringing the project to Whitefish High School ● Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program o For supplying us with a DustTrak ● Electronic cigarette user o Letting us in his home and providing us with results