Is Propylene Glycol Vapor Safe?

[9delta]

          You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login 

    Have you even been to a haunted house where the fog is thick, its dark and your breathing heavy in anticipation for that blood thirsty zombie to jump out and scare you? That fog you are filling your lungs with is Propylene Glycol Vapor, the same stuff you are inhaling when you’re taking a puff from an Electronic Cigarette. Propylene Glycol is what allows You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to produce the smoke like vapor and help deliver the right amount of nicotine the user wants.
Why isn’t the FDA requesting further test on Fog Machine Fog when it’s the same as You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login? A Fog Machine is a device which emits a dense vapor that appears similar to fog or smoke. Typically, fog is created by vaporizing proprietary water and glycol-based or glycerin-based fluids or through the atomization of mineral oil. Some homemade recipe calls for unscented mineral oil, water, 10% distilled water, and 90% propylene glycol
The FDA has affirmed the status of Propylene Glycol as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) for a variety of uses in foods, and it may be present in seasoning and flavoring up to 97%, 5% for alcoholic beverages, 24% for confections and frosting, 2.5 % for frozen dairy products, 5 % for nuts and nut products and 2.0 % for all other food categories.
In the FDAs campaign to convince the public that Electronic Cigarettes are bad they fail to tell the general public that there have been studies done on Propylene Glycol Vapor. Why would the FDA not mention any about these studies?
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login or You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login(You are not allowed to view links. Register or Loginwas done in 2000, before Electronic Cigarettes were created)

Studies have been done in hospital wards using Propylene Glycol in an air-sterilization application. In these studies, humans were exposed to saturated and super saturated atmospheres for prolonged periods without adverse effects. In 1971, the uptake of Propylene Glycol mist by humans was studied using a 10% solution in labeled deionized water which was nebulized into a mist tent. Less than 5% of the mist entered the body, and of this 5%, 90% lodged in the nasopharynx and rapidly disappeared into the stomach. Very little Propylene Glycol was found in the lungs.
Skin reactions due to Propylene Glycol are generally rare. Irritation of the skin may occur, especially under occlusive (covered) conditions. Hypersensitivity type reactions (allergic) have been reported.25 Undiluted Propylene Glycol has been applied to human volunteers in various patch test studies. On average 15% of the test subjects demonstrated a reaction, of these 15 %, 60 – 70% had irritant type reactions and 30-40% had allergic type reactions.
Propylene Glycol have been tested for its ability to cause genetic mutation or other genetic damage and no mutation or genetic damage have been noticed.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login or You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Fog Machine Fog Studies(Sources Below)
Another study a done by You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login showed irritation of mucous membranes such as the eyes and the respiratory tract associated with extended peak exposure to theatrical fog.  In May 2005, a study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, conducted by the School of Environment and Health at the University of British Columbia, looked at adverse respiratory effects in crew members on a wide variety of entertainment venues ranging from live theaters, concerts, television and film productions to a video arcade.
This study determined that cumulative exposure to mineral oil and glycol-based fogs were associated with acute and chronic adverse effects on respiratory health. The study found that short-term exposure to glycol fog was associated with coughing, dry throat, headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and tiredness. The study also found long-term exposure to smoke and fog was associated with both short-term and long-term respiratory problems such as chest tightness and wheezing.

Conclusion

What does this all mean? In this post I did not explore the hazards of Mineral Oil Vapor. Please note Mineral Oil in Fog Machines might be a contributing factor too the many health hazards associated with Fog Machine Vapor. Like any other chemical, Propylene Glycol is not bad nor is it good. As shown by the studies, Propylene Glycol can cause mild irritation within your body. Now let’s put it into context, Electronic Cigarettes are designed for current tobacco smokers.
Tobacco Cigarettes contain over 4,000 cancer causing chemicals that WILL KILL you if you continue to smoke traditional cigarettes. Studies have shown that Propylene Glycol does NOT cause cancer nor has it killed anyone. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login is an “Alternative For Smoking” and was not designed as an FDA approved smoking cessation (quit smoking) device. If you decide to wean yourself off of cigarettes (quit smoking) using e-cigs, Congratulations for taking a step towards a new life.


Sources
Patty’s Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, volume 2F, 4th edition. G.D. and F.E.
Clayton, editors. John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY (1994) p:4645-4719.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Burr GA, Van Gilder TJ, Trout DB, Wilcox TG, Driscoll R. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login HETA 90-0355-2499.
Actor’s Equity Association. Moline JM, Golden AL, Highland JH, Wilmarth KR, Kao AS. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. Prepared for Actor’s Equity Pension and Health Trust Funds. June 6, 2000.
Wieslander G, Norback D, Lindgren T. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. Occup Environ Med. 2001 Oct;58(10):649-55.
Varughese S, Teschke K, Brauer M, Chow Y, van Netten C, Kennedy SM. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. Am J Ind Med. 2005 May;47(5):411-8.
ANSI E1.5 – 2003, Entertainment Technology – You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login