Pg Germ Killing Vapor

[dearne]

Since vaping I have read some rather informative articles about PG

thought I would share a couple

Far from posing a threat to our health, the propylene glycol in e-smoking liquids might help keep us healthy. It would accomplish that by its germicidal action. It kills many of the major bacteria that threaten lung entry into our bodies.

Back in the late '30s, researchers at the University of Chicago stumbled on its effectiveness as a germ-killer, as related in this Time magazine story from Nov. 16, 1942:

"A powerful preventive against pneumonia, influenza and other respiratory diseases may be promised by a brilliant series of experiments conducted during the last three years at the University of Chicago's Billings Hospital. Dr. Oswald Hope Robertson last week was making final tests with a new germicidal vapor — propylene glycol — to sterilize air. If the results so far obtained are confirmed, one of the age-old searches of man will finally achieve its goal...

"...the researchers found that the propylene glycol itself was a potent germicide. One part of glycol in 2,000,000 parts of air would — within a few seconds — kill concentrations of air-suspended pneumococci, streptococci and other bacteria numbering millions to the cubic foot.

"How did it work? Respiratory disease bacteria float about in tiny droplets of water breathed, sneezed and coughed from human beings. The germicidal glycol also floats in infinitesimally small particles. Calculations showed that if droplet had to hit droplet, it would take two to 200 hours for sterilization of sprayed air to take place. Since sterilization took place in seconds, Dr. Robertson concluded that the glycol droplets must give off gas molecules which dissolve in the water droplets and kill the germs within them.

"Dr. Robertson placed groups of mice in a chamber and sprayed its air first with propylene glycol, then with influenza virus. All the mice lived. Then he sprayed the chamber with virus alone. All the mice died."

The complete Time story can be read here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...932876,00.html

In a scientific summary of the discovery, it was noted that "Tests on possible deleterious effects of breathing propylene glycol containing atmospheres over long periods of time are being carried out."

Those tests were done and a second summary report on propylene glycol vapor was released:

"Propylene glycol is harmless to man when swallowed or injected into the veins. It is also harmless to mice who have breathed it for long periods. But medical science is cautious — there was still a remote chance that glycol might accumulate harmfully in the erect human lungs which, unlike those of mice, do not drain themselves. So last June Dr. Robertson began studying the effect of glycol vapor on monkeys imported from the University of Puerto Rico's School of Tropical Medicine. So far, after many months' exposure to the vapor, the monkeys are happy and fatter than ever. Dr. Robertson does not expect mankind to live, like his monkeys, continuously in an atmosphere of glycol vapor; but it should be most valuable in such crowded places as schools and theaters, where most respiratory diseases are picked up."

The monkeys lived in enclosures filled with propylene glycol vapor. No deleterious effect was ever reported. And the concentrations of PG we inhale on a regular basis surely must equal the amount inhaled by the monkeys for this test. Obviously, no scientist saw a time when a device would atomize a PG mist that would then be inhaled for fun. But time and technology has given us the e-cig. We are constantly washing our lungs with a bacteriacidal agent used today in some "air sanitizers".

Glycerine, by the way, has some germicidal impact, but not, apparently, to the degree provided by inhaling propylene glycol vapor. Glycerine is now used by dairy farmers to help prevent bacteria entering a cow's teats after milking. Glycerine both softens the teats and kills bacteria.

One more quote on PG: "The vapour from as little as 0.5 mg of propylene glycol can kill nearly all the microorganisms in a liter of heavily contaminated air within 15 seconds."

The initial experiments with PG vapor were part of a search to find ways to create clean rooms, so the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed so many millions would never be repeated. Today, researchers have wondered online if PG vapor might not offer protection against a widely feared coming pandemic of bird flu, H5N1.

Imagine e-smokers being healthier than non-smokers in such a scenario.

more information here

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932876,00.html

[Typcin]

Thanks for posting this! Intriguing!

[mcquinn]

I still catch colds ,but maybe not as bad as they could have been.But I did read they used to use it in vaporisers in childrens wards.

[dearne]

My son has heart failure kidkney problems lung problems and severe astma used to get pnumonia every winter

he hasnt been as sick as he used to be since I started vaping

now Im wondering if it is beacuse all the PG im vaping

[txtumbleweed]

I haven't had a cold in 17 months since I started vaping. I take care of my grandkids and they have had lots of colds both winters that I've vaped and I have not had one cold. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe emphysema a couple of years ago and had to use two different inhalers now I seldom use one and my breathing has improved 100%. So I'm a believer in the PG being beneficial rather than harmful. Just my opinion of course but I believe it.

Edited May 17, 2011 by txtumbleweed

[Cheriepye]

And here I was going to post about us being "guinea pigs" till all this gets worked out.

I was worried about second hand vaping.

On another note... one of my dogs won't come near me when I'm vaping or take anything

out of the hand that holds the "cig."

Cherie

[iloozyun]

statistically, you can probably trade ~any~ bad habit for smoking analogs and come out ahead of the game. the way i figure it, i traded one ~proven~ EXTREMELY bad habit (for me and everyone around me) for one that theoretically one day in the future has the remote possibility to turn out to have an undetermined level of negative impact on my health... odds i'll gladly accept. in fact, i believe all the analogs i smoked over 30+ years are still more likely to retroactively kill me than all the vaping i can fit in over the rest of my years. in my book, vaping is hands-down a win/win situation. and if it turns out to actually be ~good~ for me? a bonus.

[B80]

And here I was going to post about us being "guinea pigs" till all this gets worked out.

I was worried about second hand vaping.

On another note... one of my dogs won't come near me when I'm vaping or take anything

out of the hand that holds the "cig."

Cherie

One of my cats seems to LOVE my vaping. She is always trying to stick her nose in my bag of liquids and trying to rub her face on my e-cig. I do try to keep her away from it but it's just funny how determined she is to get her "vape on."

[Tagsanstuff]

no wonder why my nose runs so much when I vape. Plus my son stopped his chronic coughing they were calling asthma. We have not had Bronchitis like we use to get a lot. all we get now is colds, and my never going away runny nose problem lol.I use 70% PG in my e-liquid

[cheeple]

There was still a remote chance that glycol might accumulate harmfully in the erect human lungs which, unlike those of mice, do not drain themselves.

ok now you got me trippn' if our lungs don't drain themselves then are we vapers gonna build up fluid in our lungs? I'm sure as time goes by the safety will get better and better, infact I envision medicinal uses like maybe adding Ephederine just like in Inhalers for Asthma. Or other things for lung health, vitamin and mineral delivery. Infact it could potentially replace nebulizers.

[Tony_C]

Our lungs don't drain themselves...but when you hack up phlem...there goes some liquid from your lungs. You likely won't get pnemonia amounts of build up...but I'd almost bet there's more than a non-smoking, non-vaping healthy adult has.

[alittle2spoiled]

There may actually be something to this~ When I was a smoker, I was always sick. I'm happy to report that since I started vaping back in November, I've not had one cold

[Tagsanstuff]

no wonder why my nose runs so much when I vape. Plus my son stopped his chronic coughing they were calling asthma. We have not had Bronchitis like we use to get a lot. all we get now is colds, and my never going away runny nose problem lol.I use 70% PG in my e-liquid

no wonder why my nose runs so much when I vape. Plus my son stopped his chronic coughing they were calling asthma. We have not had Bronchitis like we use to get a lot. all we get now is colds, and my never going away runny nose problem lol.I use 70% PG in my e-liquid

If they use PG in breathing treatments in nursing homes and hospitals, that is why my nose runs. My mom is in a nursing home and is on Oxygen and her nose runs all the time. I vape 70% pg and 30 vg and my nose does not run as much.

[fourthousand2one]

My son has heart failure kidkney problems lung problems and severe astma used to get pnumonia every winter

he hasnt been as sick as he used to be since I started vaping

now Im wondering if it is beacuse all the PG im vaping

thats fantastic!! could it also be the non-smoking ? fantastci, i hope the vaping works for meee day one today !!

[LoTech]

I watched a youtube video by Bill Godshall that PG can be dangerous to cats & that you should NOT vape around them/blow it in their faces etc. I will see if I can find it.

Edited September 4, 2012 by LoTech

[LoTech]

I was incorrect, not Bill Godshall (From Casaa) But some other gentleman. Anyways, here's a link to the video:

[vapinmamma]

This is great news...thanks for much for sharing!