Once marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, electronic cigarettes have been often considered less harmful by consumers. But emerging research reveals that vaping may carry serious health risks of its own. At the University of Miami College of Engineering, recent Ph.D. graduate Kapiamba Fabrice is leading critical research into the invisible toxins released by e-cigarette aerosols and their potential impact on users and bystanders.
Working under the mentorship of associate professor Yang Wang in the Particle Measurement and Technology Lab, Fabrice conducted a comprehensive study of the physical, chemical and toxicological properties of e-cigarette smoke. His dissertation has already resulted in four peer-reviewed publications and two additional manuscripts currently under review.
Among his most significant findings, published in a 2024 paper in Chemical Research in Toxicology, were that increasing a device's power setting can elevate levels of hexavalent chromium, a known human carcinogen. That same study also found a range of other harmful metals, including lead, nickel, and copper, all of which can change form and become more dangerous depending on how the device is used. Higher temperatures, commonly found in newer or more powerful devices, were shown to increase the release of these metals into the vapor.
Another study, featured as the cover article in the same journal, looked at the presence of metals in both firsthand and secondhand aerosol emissions. Fabrice found that non-users, people close to someone vaping, could be exposed to nearly the same amount of toxic metals as users themselves. This research challenges long-held assumptions about the safety of vaping in indoor or enclosed spaces.
In his most recent work, Fabrice studied the emissions released from just a single puff of vapor, revealing sharp spikes in the number of tiny particles and metal concentrations with each inhalation. These short bursts of exposure, he says, are important for understanding the immediate health risks associated with even brief or occasional use, especially among young or first-time users.
While e-cigarette research has been central to his doctoral work, Fabrice's scientific contributions extend well beyond vaping. During a graduate co-op with the clean-tech startup Phoenix Tailings, he worked on developing zero-waste methods for extracting rare earth metals. These materials are essential for technologies like smartphones and electric vehicles. That experience helped bridge his academic research with real-world applications in sustainable engineering. He also earned national recognition through the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.
Today, Fabrice is putting that expertise to work at Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's largest mining companies. In his current role, he's focused on finding cleaner, more efficient ways to recover critical minerals from unconventional sources, advancing efforts to make modern mining more environmentally responsible.
