Electronic nicotine delivery systems, commonly known as vapes, function by heating a liquid solution to create an aerosol for inhalation. The direct answer is that these devices do not contain a traditional filter like those found in combustible cigarettes. Unlike smoking, which involves burning material, vaping relies on vaporization. This fundamental difference means the device does not employ a filtration system designed to trap particulate matter from smoke.
How Vape Devices Differ From Traditional Cigarettes
The presence of a filter in a traditional cigarette is a direct response to combustion. Burning tobacco generates smoke, a complex mixture containing thousands of chemicals, including solid particulate matter like tar. The cigarette filter is designed to capture some of this dense particulate matter before it reaches the smoker’s lungs.
Vaping devices use a battery-powered coil to heat a liquid, known as e-liquid, to a temperature sufficient for vaporization. This process creates an aerosol—a suspension of tiny liquid droplets—rather than smoke. Because vaping avoids combustion, it does not produce the heavy tar and particulate load that necessitates a traditional filter.
Components Often Mistaken for Filters
Users often confuse several vape components with a filtration system due to their placement or appearance. The most prominent is the mouthpiece, or drip tip, which is placed between the lips. Some first-generation devices are designed with a mouthpiece that mimics the feel of a cigarette filter to help users transition, but these are simply delivery tips. They do not function to remove chemicals from the aerosol.
Other parts, such as internal mesh screens, may also be mistaken for a filter. These fine mesh barriers are sometimes included in the vapor path, but their role is purely mechanical. They are designed to prevent unvaporized e-liquid droplets, known as “spit-back,” or small pieces of debris from being drawn into the mouth. The cotton wick absorbs the e-liquid and draws it onto the heating element for liquid delivery. These physical components serve to regulate flow or prevent debris, but they lack the chemical filtration properties of a traditional cigarette filter.
What Is Inhaled When Vaping
Since no filter is present, the entire aerosol generated by the device is inhaled directly into the lungs. The majority of the e-liquid (80 to 97% by weight) is made up of two primary solvents: vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). These substances are combined with nicotine, if chosen, and various flavorings. The exact composition of the aerosol varies based on the specific e-liquid and the device’s power settings.
Heating the e-liquid can also lead to the formation of unintended chemical byproducts. When PG and VG are heated, they can break down to form carbonyl compounds, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Furthermore, the heating coil, often made of metal alloys, can release trace amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium into the aerosol. All these components are delivered into the respiratory tract.