Roberto Sussman

In this episode of the Science Series, Roberto Sussman breaks down why many lab studies on e‑cigarette emissions can’t be trusted—and how bad testing setups can create misleading “high toxin” results. He explains the “optimal regime” for vaping devices (power, resistance, airflow), why reproducibility requires full reporting of test conditions, and how unrealistic puffing machines can cause overheating and artificially inflate byproducts.

Why have some studies reported enormous amounts of formaldehyde and metals in vaping emissions? In this episode of Science Series with Roberto Sussman, we break down how those scary numbers can come from bad experimental conditions—especially overheating setups that don’t reflect how people actually vape. Roberto explains why “micrograms per puff” can be misleading, how to translate emissions into realistic daily exposure (based on typical puff counts), and how those totals should be compared against toxicological standards published by regulators.

You’ll also hear why properly designed tests tend to find toxic byproducts far below cigarette smoke—and often below common benchmarks, with a reality-check comparison to everyday aerosols and even air pollution exposure.

In this episode of Science Series with Roberto Sussman, we tackle a deceptively simple question: how do you determine optimal vaping settings in a laboratory? Roberto explains why machine “puffing” can produce unrealistic overheating conditions that real users would immediately avoid (too hot, bad taste), and how that can distort measurements and conclusions in some studies. We also cover the “dry puff”/dry heat phenomenon, why airflow and power settings matter, and how modern devices differ from early closed “cigalike” systems.

Discover the real science behind effective vaping. In this episode, Joanna Junak talks with vaping science researcher Roberto Sussman about how power, airflow, and resistance shape vapor production, flavor, and efficiency. Learn why temperature control isn’t the key factor—and how adjusting wattage, coil resistance, and airflow settings can completely change your vaping experience.

If you’ve ever wondered how to tune your vape for better performance, this episode explains the physics behind it all—clearly and scientifically.

Why does vape testing in laboratory conditions often differ so much from real-world use, and what are the factors affecting overheating and the creation of unintended byproducts?? Joining us again to explore the complex physics and chemistry behind vaping is nuclear physicist and vaping advocate Roberto Sussman.

Vaping has been shown to be 95% safer than smoking, but what do the chemistry of vapor and smoke, and the key differences between them, tell us about WHY these products are so different? Joining us again for the fourth part of our vaping science series is astrophysicist Roberto Sussman, who expertly explains the science behind vaping!

In the third episode of our science special, Roberto Sussman looks at the thermal processes that take place in vaporisation, and the impact different solvents have on the vaporisation temperature of e-liquids.

In the second part of our science special, Roberto Sussman takes us through the fundamental physics of vape aerosols to help explain the difference between cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapor!

The science of e-cigarette aerosols is complex, but is key to understanding the relative safety of safer nicotine products compared with combustible tobacco. To shed some light on the chemistry of vape aerosols, as well as how they compare tobacco smoke, we're joined today by research physicist Roberto Sussman!