Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, found that heating propylene glycol, the main ingredient in most e-cigarette liquids, can produce two toxic chemicals, methylglyoxal and acetaldehyde, which damage lung cells.
Using lab-grown human airway tissues, the study showed that both chemicals disrupt basic cell functions.
Methylglyoxal, however, caused greater harm at much lower concentrations, interfering with mitochondria, the cell’s energy generators, and weakening the actin cytoskeleton, which maintains cell shape and strength.
Lead author and graduate professor Prue Talbot said these changes are “signs of stress and injury, and could lead to long-term health problems if repeated during e-cigarette use.”
Co-author Man Wong noted that low-powered e-cigarettes, often considered safer, may produce higher levels of methylglyoxal, emphasizing that understanding how these byproducts form is critical to assessing long-term health risks.
The study also found that even short-term exposure to these chemicals can alter cellular pathways linked to energy production, DNA repair, and structural integrity.
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