Comment on “Flavoring Chemicals in E-Cigarettes: Diacetyl, 2,3-Pentanedione, and Acetoin in a Sample of 51 Products, Including Fruit-, Candy-, and Cocktail-Flavored E-Cigarettes”
Abstract
We read with interest the article by Allen et al. in which the authors reported the presence of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione in e-cigarette vapors and concluded that “[d]ue to the associations between diacetyl, bronchiolitis obliterans and other severe respiratory diseases observed in workers, urgent action is recommended to further evaluate this potentially widespread exposure.” As part of their analysis, it was suggested that the occupational exposure limits (OELs) that have been proposed for these compounds may not be health protective for most e-cigarette users.
We support efforts to characterize the composition of e-cigarette vapors and believe that such research is necessary to fully assess the potential health risks, if any, associated with use of these products. Over the past five years, we have published the results of several studies in which diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione levels were measured in various consumer products (Gaffney et al. 2015; Pierce et al. 2014; Pierce et al. 2015). As described briefly below, we believe our findings are directly relevant to many of the issues raised by Allen et al.
First, it is important to understand that hundreds of consumer products (e.g., tea, coffee, citrus juices, butter) contain naturally occurring diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione (Bartowsky and Henschke 2004; NTP 2007; Ganeko et al. 2008), and several studies have shown that airborne diketones associated with these products are easily detectable (Grosch and Mayer 2000; Mayer…
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