Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025
08:39
Generation of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol by a Third-Generation Machine-Vaping Device: Application to Toxicological Studies
Published on: August 25, 2018
25.5K
When Vaping Isn't Actually Safer: A Death From Toxic Alcohol Contaminated Vape Juice
Timothy Ogburn1, Irfan Chaudhry2, Laura D Knight3
1From the University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV.
Summary
Accidental ingestion of homemade vape juice led to a fatal case of toxic alcohol poisoning. This incident highlights the dangers of unregulated vape products contaminated with methanol and propylene glycol.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Forensic Pathology
- Public Health
Background:
- Vape juice, used with e-cigarettes, contains active ingredients like nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
- Lack of stringent regulation in vape juice production raises concerns about ingredient accuracy and concentration.
- Homemade preparations increase the risk of unknown and potentially toxic contaminants.
Observation:
- A 43-year-old woman ingested homemade vape juice containing "ethylene glycol" and THC for pain relief.
- She presented with unresponsiveness, decerebrate posturing, anion gap metabolic acidosis, and high serum osmolality.
- Despite fomepizole administration, she expired, with postmortem toxicology revealing methanol and propylene glycol toxicity.
Findings:
- Postmortem toxicology confirmed lethal levels of methanol (220 mg/dL) and significant propylene glycol (59 mg/dL) in the patient's blood.
- Autopsy revealed ischemic gastrointestinal changes and cerebral edema with herniation, consistent with toxic alcohol poisoning.
- The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as methanol and propylene glycol toxicity.
Implications:
- This case represents the first reported accidental death linked to the ingestion of vape juice contaminated with toxic alcohols.
- It underscores the critical need for enhanced regulation and quality control in the manufacturing of vape products and e-liquids.
- Public health awareness campaigns are necessary to educate consumers about the potential risks associated with ingesting non-standardized vape products.
More Related Videos
09:30A Microcontroller Operated Device for the Generation of Liquid Extracts from Conventional Cigarette Smoke and Electronic Cigarette Aerosol
Published on: January 18, 2018
8.4K
10:44Comparing the Effects of Electronic Cigarette Vapor and Cigarette Smoke in a Novel In Vivo Exposure System
Published on: May 24, 2017
11.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:29Stimulants
186
Stimulants are substances that enhance neural activity and elevate dopamine levels in the brain, leading to their highly addictive nature. These drugs include cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, caffeine, and nicotine, each with distinct mechanisms of action and varied health implications.
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
186
01:36Types of Toxins
1.7K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
1.7K
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
203
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
203
02:23Autoxidation of Ethers to Peroxides and Hydroperoxides
7.5K
Ethers represent a class of chemical compounds that become more dangerous with prolonged storage because they tend to form explosive peroxides when standing in the air. Autoxidation is the spontaneous oxidation of a compound in air. In the presence of oxygen, ethers slowly oxidize to form hydroperoxides and dialkyl peroxides.
7.5K
02:23Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
10.3K
Reduction is a simple strategy to convert a carbonyl group to a hydroxyl group. The three major pathways to reduce carbonyls to alcohols are catalytic hydrogenation, hydride reduction, and borane reduction.
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
10.3K
02:29Ethers from Alcohols: Alcohol Dehydration and Williamson Ether Synthesis
10.3K
Overview
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
10.3K