Vape Pen Lung Disease Deaths: What Exactly Is Vitamin E Oil?
An unprecedented outbreak of vaping-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI) has sickened up to 450 people and killed as many as six in 33 states.
A current suspect in the outbreak is vitamin E acetate, sometimes used as a vape cartridge additive. Its a popular new diluent thickener found mostly in illicit market THC vape carts. What is vitamin E oil and what makes it dangerous? We explore below.
Vitamin E Oil Has 8 Forms
Eight main types of tocopherol exist, from alpha-tocopherol all the way through gamma-tocopherol.
The most relevant vitamin E compound is alpha-tocopherol since it is the most abundant and potent of the group, said Vu Lam, an official with Anresco Laboratories in San Francisco.
The main difference between naturally occurring vitamin E and synthetic vitamin E is the presence of stereoisomers, Lam explained. Naturally occurring vitamin E will only contain the D-isomer (i.e. D-alpha-tocopherol). Synthetic vitamin E will typically be a mix of the D- and Lisomers (DL-alpha-tocopherol).
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