UK Researchers Find Excessive Heavy Metal Levels in Illegal E-Cigarettes

According to BBC News, researchers at the UK Inter Scientific laboratory recently tested 18 types of illegal e-cigarettes, revealing that these e-cigarettes contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead, nickel, and chromium, with lead levels exceeding safe limits by more than twice and nickel levels exceeding safe limits by nine times.

These e-cigarettes were confiscated from some students in the UK, most of which are illegal products. One e-cigarette, named highlighter, resembles a highlighter pen. Researchers found that its lead content was 12 micrograms per gram, 2.4 times the safe level, nickel content was 9.6 times the safe level, and chromium content was 6.6 times the safe level. These heavy metals are present in the e-liquid of the e-cigarettes. It is reported that these illegal e-cigarettes are increasingly being used by minors in the UK.