Frequent Vaping in Teens Tied to Higher Toxic Metal Exposure

TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who vape frequently have higher exposure to toxic metals, according to a study published online April 29 in Tobacco Control.

Andrew Kochvar, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and colleagues used data from wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Youth Panel to investigate factors associated with biomarkers of metal exposure among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents (aged 13 to 17 years) who reported vaping. The analysis included 200 exclusive electronic cigarette users, 65 occasional users, 45 intermittent users, and 81 frequent users.

The researchers found that both intermittent (0.21 ng/mg creatinine) and frequent users (0.20 ng/mg creatinine) had higher urine lead levels than occasional users (0.16 ng/mg creatinine). Higher urine uranium levels were also seen among frequent users versus occasional users (0.009 versus 0.005 ng/mg creatinine). Sweet flavor users (15.3 percent) had higher uranium levels versus menthol/mint users (33.0 percent; 0.009 versus 0.005 ng/mg creatinine).

"By leveraging a national survey and biospecimen analysis, our study shows a correlation between vaping frequency and heightened metal exposure," the authors write. "The findings of this study underscore the importance of implementing vaping regulations and targeted prevention strategies for adolescents."

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