E-cigarettes are a source of exposure to heavy metals. The metal heating elements of these devices are heated to high temperatures to generate the aerosol that is inhaled. Previous studies have shown that, in this process, the aerosol becomes contaminated with a wide variety of metals from the heating element. Some of these metals can have serious health consequences, especially for vulnerable populations such as young people, whose bodies are still developing. This article, published in the journal Tobacco Control, assesses exposure to three important heavy metals (lead, cadmium and uranium) in adolescents with different frequencies of e-cigarette use. 

Interestingly, lead and uranium levels were higher in those adolescents with higher frequencies of use. Lead exposure is of particular concern, as it is very harmful to the neurological development of young people. The presence of lead in e-cigarette aerosol has already been confirmed by several studies. Uranium is also a toxic metal, although the importance of e-cigarettes as a source of exposure to this metal needs further research—as the authors of the study themselves acknowledge. Cadmium is relevant in tobacco, but is not a metal that is of importance in e-cigarettes as this and other studies show. 

The results of this study are consistent with those of other studies linking e-cigarette use to increased exposure to metals. Lead is able to accumulate in the body over a lifetime and we are exposed to it through different pathways. However, given the age of the participants in this study, who were in their teens, we can assume that their lead levels would be influenced by the use of e-cigarettes. Other metals such as nickel or chromium, which are major components of e-cigarette heating elements, should have been measured for a better assessment of metal exposure through e-cigarette devices. 

This study is important as it adds further evidence to the role of e-cigarettes as a source of metal exposure. Due to the high toxicity of lead and its particularly harmful effects on the younger population, the results of this study would support the establishment of stricter policies for the control of e-cigarette use in adolescents. The very similar composition and functioning of e-cigarettes around the world make this an issue that affects all countries where e-cigarette use is prevalent.