UNITED KINGDOM
A new UK study has found that chemicals used in some flavored e-liquids could affect male sperm count.
Researchers at University College London claimed that some flavors of vaping fluid, namely cinnamon and bubblegum, may damage sperm if inhaled.
The study involved testing 30 samples, with a third of the sperm grown in a dish with propylene glycol, the main chemical used to keep e-cigarette liquid moist. Two of the best-selling flavors, cinnamon and bubblegum, were added to the other samples and had a significantly negative effect on the number, motility, and maturity of the sperm than the normal liquid.
A similar study on nine flavors by the University of Salford have also shown inhaling some flavors, namely menthol and butterscotch, can be more damaging to human lung tissue than unflavored liquid.
Other specialists in the field have dismissed the research. Medical researcher Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos said,
“The major problem of this study on airway bronchial cells and similar studies is the use of non-standardized protocols, non-standardized doses, and the lack of any comparison with tobacco cigarette smoke. In cell studies, anyone can easily generate a toxic response by increasing the exposure dose.”
He also called the sperm study findings “bizarre”. “Flavors like cinnamon are widely available in food products, and sperm will be equally exposed to cinnamon derived from food products, since cinnamon is absorbed when ingested. The study is basically suggesting that chewing bubblegum and apple-cinnamon pies can cause sperm damage. I find this highly unlikely.”