E-cigarettes are a promising harm reduction technique for smokers as they are generally considered to be less harmful to health than traditional E-CIGARETTES (บุหรี่ไฟฟ้า). 1 However, despite the greater health benefits of smoking, vaporization poses a potential environmental risk. Dry powder inhalers, commonly used as medical devices to treat respiratory illnesses, have recently noticed carbon dioxide emissions of concern. 2 The impact of e-cigarettes on global health is similar to that of inhalers and can no longer be ignored.
Historically, tobacco waste has been one of the most prevalent sources of plastic pollution in the world, polluting the environment with trillions of cigarette butts each year. Traditional artificial plastics are used in the manufacture of cigarette filters and buttocks. When dumped in soil or water, they release toxic compounds before they become micro plastic contamination. Waste tobacco butts are an example of how the tobacco business has had significant environmental impacts for decades and poses serious risks to human health and animals.
Plastic waste is the first type of waste contained in vaping items. Many widely available E-CIGARETTES (บุหรี่ไฟฟ้า) use pod-based technology and disposable plastic cartridges. As coffee capsules have been for the past decade, the arc sector can quickly become the next environmental problem in terms of plastic waste. Both arc pods and coffee pods are (almost) non-biodegradable and non-recyclable, and e-cigarettes are intentionally portable and designed for disposable use, making them comparable.
E-waste is the second waste category. Disposable e-cigarettes are as easy to dispose of as cigarette butts, as opposed to dedicated e-waste facilities such as mobile phones. Since e-cigarettes contain both circuit board 5 and lithium-ion batteries, there are at least two disposal issues related to e-cigarette waste. 6 Toxic substances that deteriorate the battery of electronic cigarettes are gradually invading the environment. 7 If batteries remain in the trash can, there is a high possibility of an explosion or fire in trucks, garbage, and recycling facilities.
Hazardous chemical waste is the third waste category. Capsules and electronic liquid containers cannot be recycled with other plastic waste because they contained nicotine, which the US Environmental Protection Agency has classified as an acute hazardous waste. 9 Therefore, do not dispose of nicotine-contaminated electronic liquid waste and disposable cartridges with household waste or flush them into drains.
It remains controversial as e-cigarettes are unclear how they affect long-term health and can be a starting point for tobacco use. However, there is one certain thing. It is an increasing threat to the ecosystem. Therefore, regulators need to consider the environmental impact of vapor-breathing products in addition to their health impact. As disposable e-cigarettes become more widespread, this environmental problem can rapidly exacerbate.
Over the years, vaping trends have seen many changes. For example, since the beginning of 2021, disposable vapor-breathing gear seems to be gaining momentum around the world. Disposable e-cigarettes can only be used once, which produces far more waste than reusable cigarettes. These new devices are primarily aimed at young people and warn of both human health and the environment.
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