British scientists say they found “alarming levels of dangerous metals” and “dangerously high levels of nicotine” in a batch of illegal vapes seized during a raid in Derby, England in 2023. During the 18-month joint study by the University of Derby and public health and trading standards officers, toxicologists tested 10 illegal products and found “huge and often alarming levels of dangerous metals”, including cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead.
“Lead is harmful to everyone and every organ,” said Dr. Ali Kermanizadeh, a senior lecturer in toxicology at the University of Derby. “It’s a neurotoxin. It can cause anemia, and it can cause severe conditions such as heart disease and strokes.
“In some of the products, we found the nicotine content equivalent to smoking 200 traditional cigarettes.”
The study concluded that using unregulated vapes, based on the chemicals found, could lead to severe long-term health conditions.
“The toxicity varies from product to product,” Kermanizadeh said. “We’ve found these products cause cell death, they cause huge amounts of inflammation, they can change normal cell function, and they can also cause DNA damage. Long-term they can result in the development of cancers.”
“The market is flooded with illegal vapes,” said Donna Dowse, service manager at Derby Trading Standards. “It’s important to get the message out that illegal vapes contain high levels of toxic chemicals, which are extremely harmful.”