Before picking up that 'healthy' e-cigarette, READ THIS

New Delhi: A new study led by an Indian-origin scientist warns that electronic-cigarettes containing nicotine are potentially as harmful as unfiltered tobacco smoking.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the US also found that vapour from non-nicotine e-cigarettes caused as much DNA damage as filtered cigarettes, possibly due to the many chemical additives present in e-cigarette vapours.

How much DNA damage e-cigarettes cause depends on the amount of vapour the user inhales, the other additives present, whether nicotine or non-nicotine liquid is used, and other factors, said Karteek Kadimisetty, a postdoctoral researcher in Uconn.

"From the results of our study, we can conclude that e- cigarettes have as much potential to cause DNA damage as unfiltered regular cigarettes," said Kadimisetty, lead author of the study published in the journal ACS Sensors.

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat up liquid and turn it into an aerosol vapour that can be inhaled. Using e-cigarettes is also called 'vaping.'

The contents of e-cigarettes, called e-liquid or e-juice, are usually made up of propylene glycol, glycerine, nicotine, and flavourings such as menthol, cherry, vanilla, or mint.

Scientists looked into whether the chemicals in e- cigarettes could cause damage to human DNA while testing a new electro-optical screening device they developed in their lab.

(With PTI input)