ironpony
Professional Pot-Stirrer
Potential culprit found in vaping-related lung injuries and deaths
CDC describes “breakthrough” in finding vitamin E acetate in lung fluids of patients
Federal health officials have identified vitamin E acetate in the lung fluids of 29 people sickened in the outbreak of dangerous vaping-related lung injuries. The discovery is a “breakthrough” that points to the oil as a likely culprit in the outbreak that has sickened more than 2,000 people and killed at least 39, a top official said Friday.
“These findings provide direct evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury within the lungs,” said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest findings point to growing evidence of vitamin E acetate as “a very strong culprit of concern,” she said.
Chemistry professor Michelle Francl has described vitamin E acetate as basically grease. Its molecular structure means that “you have to heat it up pretty hot” for it to vaporize, said Francl, a professor at Bryn Mawr College. The substance’s boiling point is 363 degrees Fahrenheit, which is well above the 212 degrees F boiling point for water.
Once the oil is heated enough to vaporize, it can potentially decompose, and “now you’re breathing in who-knows-what,” Francl has said.
Potential Culprit Found
CDC describes “breakthrough” in finding vitamin E acetate in lung fluids of patients
Federal health officials have identified vitamin E acetate in the lung fluids of 29 people sickened in the outbreak of dangerous vaping-related lung injuries. The discovery is a “breakthrough” that points to the oil as a likely culprit in the outbreak that has sickened more than 2,000 people and killed at least 39, a top official said Friday.
“These findings provide direct evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury within the lungs,” said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest findings point to growing evidence of vitamin E acetate as “a very strong culprit of concern,” she said.
Chemistry professor Michelle Francl has described vitamin E acetate as basically grease. Its molecular structure means that “you have to heat it up pretty hot” for it to vaporize, said Francl, a professor at Bryn Mawr College. The substance’s boiling point is 363 degrees Fahrenheit, which is well above the 212 degrees F boiling point for water.
Once the oil is heated enough to vaporize, it can potentially decompose, and “now you’re breathing in who-knows-what,” Francl has said.
Potential Culprit Found
