It’s been long established that smoking indoors quickly degrades indoor air quality, but for now, the research doesn’t indicate that electronic cigarettes have the same ill effects.

What Are E-Cigarettes?

When someone “smokes” these cigarettes, it produces a smoke-like vapor, which is why their use is commonly called vaping. The e-cigarettes use a battery to heat a liquid that contains nicotine to the point where it produces a steam-like vapor. The nicotine inside the cigarette is part of the vaping liquid and it’s part of what users inhale.

Their byproducts have been the subject of a few studies to see what effects they have on air quality. Findings from a study conducted in Maryland that measured the changes in air quality in a crowded, small room without adequate ventilation. The participants were all vaping and the air quality did deteriorate.

The byproducts of vaping include VOCs (volatile organic compounds), nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, particulate matter and nicotine. Each of these emissions was high enough to affect the health of participants.

A contrasting study conducted in a well-ventilated meeting room in an office building where several participants were vaping found that the air quality did not reach levels considered hazardous to health. The room had adequate ventilation and relatively few people were vaping.

Implications for Your Home

If your home was tightly constructed and has few air leaks, you might want to consider increasing the amount of fresh air ventilation to improve indoor air quality. One of the best ways to do so is to install an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) that pulls in fresh air at the same rate it exhausts stale, contaminated air. ERVs don’t increase cooling and heating costs appreciably because they remove the energy of the outgoing air and put it into the incoming air. You can also prohibit smoking in your home entirely.

Protecting your indoor air quality translates to better health for everyone in your home. The experts at Powers Heating & Air can help you learn more. We provide HVAC services for Peachtree City homeowners.