Do Vapes Contain Heavy Metals?

What Exactly Are Vapes and How Do They Work?

Welcome to the start of the 21st century. Cigarettes are not used much now, but there are new products. Vapes have taken their place, and some say they may be even more dangerous. Vapes, also known as vaporizers or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are devices that run on batteries. They heat up a special liquid, sometimes called e-liquid or vape juice. This makes a fog that people breathe in. When you compare vapes to regular cigarettes, they do not burn tobacco. They work by heating the liquid to make vapor. It sounds a bit like something from the future, doesn’t it?

The e-liquid usually has nicotine, flavorings, and a base of propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). There are some vapes that do not have any nicotine. But others can have very high nicotine levels.

There are different types of vapes, including:

• Cigalikes – these are small and look like a cigarette.

• Vape pens – these look like a pen. They use cartridges that you can refill or change.

• Pod systems – these are small. They use pods you can throw away or refill. A brand many people know is JUUL.

• Mods – these are bigger. You can change parts on them and adjust their power and tank.

Vaping is usually advertised as a safer way to smoke. Many people think it is better because it does not use burning or make tar. But this is not true. The vapor still has chemicals that can be bad for you. It also has nicotine. Nicotine can make you want to use it more.

Why Do Vapes Contain Dangerous Heavy Metals?

So, what makes vapes possibly worse than cigarettes? It's because of the heavy metals in them.

Vapes can put heavy metals into the air that you breathe in. This is because the inside parts that heat up in vapes are made from metal, such as nickel-chromium (nichrome), stainless steel, or Fe-Cr-Al (iron, chromium, aluminum). When these parts get hot, they can let out small bits or break apart into the e-liquid. Then the metals can get into your body when you use the vape.

Multiple tests done in labs on popular devices have found metals like nickel, chromium, lead, manganese, arsenic, tin, copper, and zinc in the aerosol that comes out of them. Early studies found these metals start in the coil inside the device. These metals then move into the aerosol, not just inside the device. This means people breathe in these metals when they use the device.

How Much Heavy Metal Exposure Comes From Vaping?

A key study looked at 56 different user devices. It found that e-liquid in the tank, after it touched the hot coil, and that in the aerosol people breathe in, had much higher metal amounts than the refill liquid before it was used. This shows the coil is the reason the liquid and the vapor get contaminated.

The same group went on to look at many different devices. They found that the amount of metal in the vapor can change depending on the device and how it is used. In open-system or mod devices, the metals went up as the power got higher. But after some point, it did not keep going up. In most cases, open systems made more metal compared to closed pod systems. The flavor and kind of nicotine were also important. Some pods with tobacco flavor had more metal in them than pods with mint or fruit flavors.

These findings at the device level show up as clear metal exposure in people. A study looked at 64 adult vapers. It found that when someone’s vaping device had higher nickel and chromium in the smoke, that person had higher levels of nickel and chromium in their own urine and saliva. This is strong proof that vaping can really raise the amount of these metals inside a person’s body.

People who use vape devices more often, or who vape soon after waking up, use higher settings, or change their coils a lot, tend to have higher levels of nickel in their bodies. Now, reviews say that e-cigarettes let people come into contact with many metals in the liquid, vapor, and in people’s bodies.

Are Disposable Vapes Even Worse for Heavy Metal Exposure?

Newer products, especially the popular disposable ones, can sometimes be worse. A 2025 peer-reviewed study in ACS Central Science looked at several top disposable vapes. The study found that after a few hundred puffs, some of these devices let out harmful metals like lead, nickel, and antimony. The levels of these metals were higher than what people would get from old refillable vapes or even regular cigarettes.

Investigators found out that a big source was leaded bronze parts and old heating elements. University and society reports about the paper said that in some devices, using it for one day released more lead than about 20 packs of cigarettes. They also said the level of these things went up as the devices got older.

Why Is Inhaling Heavy Metals From Vapes So Harmful?

Inhaling these metals is not benign.

• Nickel and hexavalent chromium can cause cancer if breathed in.

• Lead harms the brain and there is no safe amount, especially for teens.

• Manganese can hurt the brain and nerves.

• Arsenic can cause cancer.

Recent checks on e-cigarette aerosol levels show that many samples, from different device types, go over safe breathing limits. Nickel stands out as a main concern. This means there is a risk to health, and it can happen even if there is no burning going on.

Risk can change a lot from one device to another, by batch, and in how you use it. Here, “variable” shows that in some cases, the risk can be very high.

How Can Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Help Detect Heavy Metals From Vaping?

It is a real worry right now because people use vapes so much. Many adults, teenagers, and even pre-teens use them.

The best thing you can do now if you want to be careful about avoiding heavy metals is to get a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). HTMA is one of the most reliable ways to find out how much minerals and heavy metals have built up in your body over time. Blood tests only show what is in your body right now, while HTMA shows what has been stored in your tissues for a longer time.

With HTMA, you can find out if there are any toxic things in the body from vaping or the environment. You can also check for low nutrients that can make heavy metals worse. When you use this along with a nano mineral supplement, it can help bring things back into balance. It can also make the body's detox work better.

What Can Help Remove Heavy Metals From the Body?

If you are looking for a way to get heavy metals out of your body, we have a great product called Upgraded Detox and Debloat. This can help bind to heavy metals and take them out of your system in a safe way.

Using an HTMA test along with the right supplements and detox plans can help anyone who worries about the risks of vaping and being around heavy metals. This is a smart way to take care of your health before problems start.