Does Conservation of Mass Make This "Health Study" Invalid?

In summary, the study found that vaping 3 milligrams of e-cigarette liquid at a high voltage can generate 14 milligrams of loosely affiliated or "hidden" formaldehyde.
  • #1
Levitikuz
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This is a study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine done on the safety of e-cigs or better known as vaping.

The article states, "They found that vaping 3 milligrams of e-cigarette liquid at a high voltage can generate 14 milligrams of loosely affiliated or "hidden" formaldehyde."

How does 3 milligrams of matter, or mass, turn into 14 milligrams of mass?

If I understand Conservation of Mass correctly mass can neither be created or destroyed, it just changes forms.

Is what I'm suggesting completely off-base, or is the above citation entirely impossible, physically?
 
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  • #2
Levitikuz said:
This is a study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine done on the safety of e-cigs or better known as vaping.

The article states, "They found that vaping 3 milligrams of e-cigarette liquid at a high voltage can generate 14 milligrams of loosely affiliated or "hidden" formaldehyde."

How does 3 milligrams of matter, or mass, turn into 14 milligrams of mass?

If I understand Conservation of Mass correctly mass can neither be created or destroyed, it just changes forms.

Is what I'm suggesting completely off-base, or is the above citation entirely impossible, physically?

Welcome to the PF.

I'm guessing it has to do with the act of combustion (using oxygen from the air). I'll move this thread to the Chemistry forum where it will get better answers on this chemistry question.
 
  • #3
berkeman said:
Welcome to the PF.

I'm guessing it has to do with the act of combustion (using oxygen from the air). I'll move this thread to the Chemistry forum where it will get better answers on this chemistry question.

But there is no "combustion" during vaping, that's the whole point.
 
  • #4
berkeman said:
Welcome to the PF.
Oh, and thanks.. just trying to reach out to smart people lol
 
  • #5
You are right, it doesn't make any sense. Formaldehyde is one of the products of the decomposition, I suppose it can also appear between products of a partial combustion. While it is definitely possible to decompose delicate organic compounds at the temperature required to vaporize e-cigarette liquid, there is no way of producing 14 mg formaldehyde out of 3 mg of any decomposing compound. Even taking combustion and air oxygen into account there is simply no way to get that high increase in mass. Clearly something is wrong.
 
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  • #6
Borek said:
You are right, it doesn't make any sense. Formaldehyde is one of the products of the decomposition, I suppose it can also appear between products of a partial combustion. While it is definitely possible to decompose delicate organic compounds at the temperature required to vaporize e-cigarette liquid, there is no way of producing 14 mg formaldehyde out of 3 mg of any decomposing compound. Even taking combustion and air oxygen into account there is simply no way to get that high increase in mass. Clearly something is wrong.

Thank you for the reply
 
  • #7
Levitikuz said:
This is a study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine done on the safety of e-cigs or better known as vaping.

The article states, "They found that vaping 3 milligrams of e-cigarette liquid at a high voltage can generate 14 milligrams of loosely affiliated or "hidden" formaldehyde."

Are you reading the source correctly? Here's a link to the NEJM article: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069

Here's the relevant quote:
an e-cigarette user vaping at a rate of 3 ml per day would inhale 14.4±3.3 mg of formaldehyde per day in formaldehyde-releasing agents

3 mL would have a mass of >3g, so you're off by three orders of magnitude!
 
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  • #8

1. What is the conservation of mass and how does it relate to health studies?

The conservation of mass is a fundamental law of science that states that in a closed system, mass cannot be created or destroyed. In the context of health studies, this means that the total amount of matter (such as nutrients, chemicals, or substances) in a biological system must remain constant. This is important because any changes in mass can affect the accuracy and validity of health studies.

2. How does the conservation of mass impact the results of a health study?

The conservation of mass is crucial in ensuring the accuracy and validity of health studies. Any discrepancies or changes in the mass of substances being studied can affect the results and conclusions drawn from the study. For example, if the mass of a nutrient in a food sample is found to be different from what is expected based on the amount consumed by a participant, it could lead to inaccurate conclusions about the effects of that nutrient on health.

3. Can the conservation of mass be violated in health studies?

In theory, no. The conservation of mass is a fundamental law of science that has been extensively tested and proven to be true in countless experiments. However, in practical terms, there may be factors that can lead to apparent violations of this law in health studies. For example, errors in measurement, changes in the body's metabolism, or natural variations in the composition of substances being studied can all affect the perceived mass and lead to incorrect conclusions.

4. How can scientists ensure that the conservation of mass is not violated in health studies?

Scientists can take several precautions to ensure that the conservation of mass is not violated in health studies. This includes using precise and accurate measurement techniques, carefully controlling variables that could affect mass (such as temperature and humidity), and conducting multiple trials to account for natural variations. Additionally, peer review and replication of studies by other researchers can help identify and correct any potential errors or discrepancies in mass measurements.

5. Are there any exceptions to the conservation of mass in health studies?

In general, the conservation of mass applies to all biological systems. However, there may be some exceptions in certain situations. For example, in cases of extreme weight loss or gain, the mass of the body may change significantly due to changes in fat and muscle mass. In these cases, the overall mass of the body may not remain constant, but the conservation of mass still applies to the individual components within the body. Additionally, in cases of chemical reactions or metabolic processes, small amounts of matter may be converted into energy, leading to a slight violation of the conservation of mass. However, these exceptions are typically very small and do not significantly impact the overall validity of health studies.

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