This should likely be a separate forum topic, but I thought I'd put this bit of research I did out there.
The picture below is from a screen grab this
article. What this is saying is as follows;
Formaldehyde release is caused by higher voltage vaping. At 3.2 volts, no mixture (Pure PG, Pure VG, 50/50) released Formaldehyde in measurable amounts (based on the test parameters). At 4.0 volts, the measurements are very low. However, when the test moved to 4.8 volts, the 50/50 mix moved to around 27 micrograms per 15 puffs. The pure pg mixture at 4.8 volts was at roughly 17 micrograms per 15 puffs. Lastly, and most interestingly, the pure VG blend was close to near zero.
Now, we see that the 50/50 blend had the highest output at 4.8 volts and to be honest, it was a very sizable jump. According to the article, PG is the culprit, but there must be some kind of interplay between the VG and PG as far as output of carbonyl compounds are concerned.
Bearing this in mind, I would (and do) advocate higher VG blends for practically any device. For pen styles a mix would seem, according to this, a safe thing to use (for a given value of safe, these aren't fruits and vegetables, people. Let's not confuse safe to use, with good for you). This is because pen style devices do not typically use very high levels of volts. Conversely, it would be wise to focus on how high your volts are getting while vaping. You'll notice on larger devices (higher watt devices) that the volts will increase as your watts increase. This is a directly proportional relationship.
As an example, I am currently vaping on my Vengeance tank. It's reading .25 Ohms, 68.5 Watts and around 4.2 Volts. My mixture is a 90/10 (VG/PG). This means, my measurement levels of these carbonyls are very low, based upon this specific study.
Now, this information is useless without a good comparison. Fortunately, this article comes through for us. Within the Abstract, where you'll find Results, this phrase is present
"The amounts of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in vapors from lower voltage EC were on average 13- and 807-fold lower than in tobacco smoke, respectively. The highest levels of carbonyls were observed in vapors generated from PG-based solutions." What is this saying, that's the question. Essentially - formaldehyde production is 13 times lower then cigarettes and acetaldehyde is 807 times lower. Conversely, higher Watt mods can produce these two carbonyls at equal rates to cigarettes.
Just remember, that being informed is your best way to vaping in a healthier way.
Hope this helps. I'm aware it's a wall of words, sorry. (EDIT - added a few things for clarity. Grammar, FTW!)
Justin with
Erupted Vapor