Health Effects from Secondhand Exposure to E-Cigarettes: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles from 2004–2024
Issued Date
2025-09-01
Resource Type
ISSN
16617827
eISSN
16604601
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105017397201
Journal Title
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
22
Issue
9
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.22 No.9 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Patanavanich R., Thatasawakul C., Youngcharoen K., Soponvashira V., Pichetsin P. Health Effects from Secondhand Exposure to E-Cigarettes: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles from 2004–2024. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.22 No.9 (2025). doi:10.3390/ijerph22091408 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/112446
Title
Health Effects from Secondhand Exposure to E-Cigarettes: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles from 2004–2024
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Background: Since the emergence of e-cigarettes on the market in the early 2000s, the prevalence of e-cigarette use has increased globally. The health risks of using e-cigarettes have been increasingly revealed; however, the health effects on non-users exposed to e-cigarettes are less known. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of peer-reviewed articles from 2004 to October 2024 from PubMed and Embase. We focused on the studies that described health outcome measures among non-smokers/vapers exposed to secondhand e-cigarettes. We excluded animal studies and those that did not include human participants. We also omitted studies with financial conflicts of interest with the tobacco industry. Results: Of the 8635 studies we found in our search, 16 were included in the final review. Study designs included in our review included a case study, a cohort, eight experimental, four cross-sectional studies, and two observational studies. Health outcome measures were self-reported health symptoms and biomarkers. Ten out of fourteen studies examined respiratory health risks, six described immunological effects, two examined cardiovascular risks, and one explored mental health effects. Self-reported health symptoms such as bronchitis, shortness of breath, asthma, throat irritations, ear infections, and mental health disorders were observed among secondhand e-cigarette exposures when compared with controls. Biomarker measures varied among studies, except for cotinine concentrations of non-smokers/vapers exposed to secondhand e-cigarettes, which were likely to be higher than non-exposed. However, all studies encountered potential limitations. Conclusions: Our review found that secondhand e-cigarette exposure is not harmless and may have negative health consequences. However, higher-quality prospective studies remain essential to examine long-term secondhand exposure.