# What's All The Fuss About Diacetyl?



## Alex

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*What’s All The Fuss About Diacetyl?*

by Jeremy Salter | September 17th, 2014


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Most vapers are deeply concerned about the science involved with vaping. Although years of research have conclusively proven that smoking kills, the electronic cigarette industry is still in it’s infancy and it’s far too early to draw definitive conclusions about this seemingly “safer” alternative. 

So far, the majority of research suggests that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than smoking, but there’s a lot we don’t know about the long-term impacts of inhaling vaporized nicotine. Even though all of the ingredients used in electronic cigarettes are “FDA-approved” and widely considered safe for human consumption, inhalation (over extended periods of time) has never been fully studied. One of the ingredients that has raised the most concern is _diacetyl_.

The primary ingredients used in e-liquid, _propylene glycol_ (PG) and _vegetable glycerin_ (VG), have been studied for decades, are FDA-approved and widely considered safe in a variety of forms, including as a vapor. Other ingredients, including most of the flavorings, are also approved for a variety of uses, but diacetyl has caused a serious controversy and may pose some dangerous health risks.
*What Is Diacetyl & Why Is It Used?*

Diacetyl is found in many of the products we consume every day. It occurs naturally in the foods we eat such as butter, vinegar and honey. It’s also produced during the fermentation process, present in alcoholic beverages and foods like cheese. The yellow-green liquid carries an intense buttery flavor and it’s commonly used as a food flavoring. It’s also recognized as “generally-safe” by the FDA.

In e-cigarettes, diacetyl provides that creamy, buttery taste found in some e-liquid. Flavors such as butterscotch, custard and caramel are often produced with diacetyl, but despite being safe for ingestion, diacetyl (_and acetyl propionyl_) are thought to be hazardous when inhaled.
*The Cause For Concern – Popcorn Lung*





The reason diacetyl has become a health concern for vapers is a rare outbreak of the disease called _bronchiolitis obliterans_ in the late 1990′s. Also referred to as “popcorn lung,” it received the infamous name due to it’s association with a microwave popcorn plant in Missouri. Over the course of several years, workers at the factory became sick with asthma and cold-like symptoms, which eventually worsened. As their symptoms advanced, thirty workers were ultimately diagnosed with this deadly disease.

Although the cause was heavily debated, many scientists believed that the random cases of “popcorn lung” were caused by _diacetyl_, used in popcorn to produce the buttery flavor that we all know and love. According to reports, diacetyl levels in the factory were three times higher than normal. Lung capacity was drastically reduced for the employees diagnosed with the condition and one eventually required a double lung transplant. That worker filed a lawsuit and was awarded $20 million by a jury.

In another case, a microwave popcorn customer was awarded $7.3 million in damages after contracting popcorn lung. Doctors claimed the man developed the disease after inhaling fumes from microwaveable popcorn over almost a decade of habitual consumption.
*Facts About Diacetyl & E-Cigarettes*

It’s important to note that no case of popcorn lung has ever been attributed to e-cigarettes, but many believe that inhaling this chemical could lead to serious health complications. In 2014 low levels of diacetyl (estimated at around 0.05%) were found in one e-liquid sample during a random test of VIP brand e-liquid in the UK. While the flavor (butterscotch) was immediately removed from their line, the news made headlines and it raised serious concerns about the use of diacetyl in e-liquid.




Because of the known hazards associated with diacetyl, many companies proudly proclaim their products are “diacetyl-free.” While this may be true in some cases, short of independent lab testing there’s no way to know for sure. The fact is, many e-juice companies DO NOT know if their products (or their ingredients) contain diacetyl, and some may be less than forthright, even if they know. Unfortunately, there are no standards for testing and no rules governing the use of diacetyl in e-liquid. Because of the growing concerns, more and more companies are seeking lab certifications, but independent lab testing is not currently required by e-juice companies or their suppliers.

Even though it may be extremely difficult to determine if an e-liquid is truly diacetyl-free, here are some facts that you should be aware of:

_The quantities of diacetyl discovered in e-cigarettes have been, on average, 100 times lower than those found in traditional tobacco smoke. Another similar chemical, acetyl propionyl, has been discovered at levels 10 times lower than traditional cigarettes._
_Although smoking kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, traditional cigarettes HAVE NEVER been associated with popcorn lung._
In a recent study conducted by leading e-cig researcher Dr. Farsalinos of the Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, over 159 samples were evaluated from 36 e-liquid manufacturers. 74.2% of those samples contained diacetyl! Even though the exposure levels were 100 times lower than tobacco, and as mentioned previously, smoking has never been tied to bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn lung,” it still raises concerns about the use diacetyl in e-liquid.
*Should You Be Concerned?*

To me, this topic seems heavily overblown by the media and I don’t think vapers should be overly concerned about diacetyl. Since smokers have been inhaling this chemical for years and bronchiolitis obliterans has never been the result, it’s likely that the amount of diacetyl required to cause popcorn lung it well beyond the levels found in cigarettes or e-cig vapor. Smoking has been proven to cause plenty of serious health conditions, but popcorn lung isn’t one of them.

With that being said, you should certainly aware of the issue and try to make educated decisions about your e-liquid purchases. If you have the choice between a company that claims their products are diacetyl-free and one that does not, the diacetyl-free product is probably a better choice. It certainly doesn’t hurt to be precautious, but many vendors that switch to diacetyl-free ingredients often replace them with products containing _acetyl propionyl_, which is virtually identical to diacetyl. If you’re truly concerned, avoiding creamy, buttery and custard-like flavors is another way to reduce your exposure.

Because of the heavy scrutiny and elevated fears, more and more companies are lab testing their products and moving to diacetyl-free ingredients. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before diacetyl (and acetyl propionyl) are completely removed from all e-liquid, whether the concerns are warranted or not. Be sure to ask, but you may or may not get a straight answer…

** Most companies featured on our website “claim” their products are diacetyl-free, including: Halo, Mt. Baker Vapor, NicQuid, Space Jam, Suicide Bunny, Virgin Vapor and more.*

Reactions: Like 6 | Winner 3 | Informative 3


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## Marzuq

very good find and a definite must read for everyone.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Andre

Great article, @Alex. 

Please consider moving to the Health Matters forum and making a sticky.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Alex

Andre said:


> Great article, @Alex.
> 
> Please consider moving to the Health Matters forum and making a sticky.


Thanks for the good suggestion @Andre, It is in the new home now.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Yiannaki

Thanks for sharing this @Alex 

It's a great read and I'm sure it will put the minds of many at ease.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Paulie

Detailed teasing needs to be done on this I have however heard them tlking about the trace elements in juices and that some of the major brands like sb have sent there products in and received very low amounts of Diacetyl found!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Marzuq

Yiannaki said:


> Thanks for sharing this @Alex
> 
> It's a great read and I'm sure it will put the minds of many at ease.


yeah it most certainly is informative and a great find. some of the points like the comparison between vape levels and tabacco cig levels have been brought up before but due to media and the anti vape people out there, they tend ti sway peoples belief toward them as it always comes from some 'reliable doctor' or 'health organisation'.
as long as these type of articles pops up and is highlighted as it is here alot of that weight and negativity will be shifted away from vaping.
we should all make it our aim to make these types of articles known to the public.
share it on your facebook and twitter pages guys..

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Reeves

Where are all these sick vapers? Some ous have been vaping for 8 + years. 

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## Rob Fisher

Been vaping juice with Diacetyl for over three years 24/7, 365 and I'm happy as Larry!


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## bjorncoetsee

This is my honest experience after 5 or 6 years of vaping. I was a non smoker when i started vaping about 5 or 6 years ago,i would smoke 1 cig when i went out or on occasion, nothing more. At that time was top fit, i did mma, crossfit, callisthenics. I didnt get sick at all, maybe oce or twice a year. As the years went by, i started vaping more and more till i reached 30mls a day. I could start to feel the effects on my fitness level after 2 or 3 years of vaping. Today, i cant even last a full 3 minute round in boxing anymore. My chest tightens and i cant breath till the point where i get paranoid. Its not the normal unfit out of breath feeling, it literally feels like i cant breath at all, like something is blocking the oxygen. I get bronchitis atleast once every 2 months now. My taste and smell has decreased drastically. Im still well built and go to the gym everyday, but no more cardio or boxing due to my chest tightening. I just do weights and callisthenics. But even that tightens my chest, but at least not as bad as boxing. 

I feel sad because fitness was my lifestyle. 
And i just cant leave vaping, im too addicted, im on 3mgs nic because 0mg just dont deliver flavor, i cant go anywhere without my vape, not even to the bathroom. 

I love vaping,and would suggest anyone who smokes a pack of cigs a day, to switch to vaping, a higher nic atleast 12mg,in a small setup, mtl, so they dont need to inhale alot of vapor to get that same nic hit on 3mgs. If ur a non smoker, stay away from anything u inhale. It definitely changed my life, not in a good way.


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