Enhancement of Benzene Emissions in Special Combinations of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Liquid Mixtures.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are battery-powered devices introduced to the market as safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes. Upon heating the electronic liquid (e-liquid), aerosols are released, including several toxicants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Benzene has been given great attention as a major component of the VOCs group as it increases cancer risk upon inhalation. In this study, several basic e-liquids were tested for benzene emissions. The Aerosol Lab Vaping Instrument was used to generate aerosols from ENDS composed of different e-liquid combinations: vegetable glycerin (VG), propylene glycol (PG), nicotine (nic), and benzoic acid (BA). The tested mixtures included PG, PG + nic + BA, VG, VG + nic + BA, 30/70 PG/VG, and 30/70 PG/VG + nic + BA. A carboxen polydimethylsiloxane fiber for a solid-phase microextraction was placed in a gas cell to trap benzene emitted from a Sub-Ohm Minibox C device. Benzene was adsorbed on the fiber during the puffing process and for an extra 15 min until it reached equilibrium, and then it was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Benzene was quantified in VG but not in PG or the 30/70 PG/VG mixtures. However, benzene concentration increased in all tested mixtures upon the addition of nicotine benzoate salt. Interestingly, benzene was emitted at the highest concentration when BA was added to PG. However, lower concentrations were found in the 30/70 PG/VG and VG mixtures with BA. Both VG and BA are sources of benzene. Enhanced emissions, however, are mostly noticeable when BA is mixed with PG and not VG.

A Quick Method for the Determination of the Fraction of Freebase Nicotine in Electronic Cigarettes.

Recently, many electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) manufacturers have begun offering e-liquids, known as "nicotine salts". These salts that have started gaining big popularity among users can be formed by adding weak acid to e-liquid mixtures consisting of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavors, and nicotine. The latter can exist in two forms: monoprotonated (mp) and freebase (fb) based on the pH of the matrix. Over the years, the determination of the fraction of fb was found important to policymakers as the prevalence of this form in ECIGs has been associated with the harshness sensory of inhalable aerosols. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), 1H NMR, and Henderson-Hasselback have been developed to deduce the fraction of fb; however, these methods were found to be time-consuming and have shown some challenges mainly due to the presence of a non-aqueous matrix consisting of PG and VG. This paper presents a quick non-aqueous pH measurement-based method that allows a quick determination of the fraction fb by just measuring the pH and the dielectric constant of the e-liquid. Then, by inputting these values into an established mathematical relationship, the fraction fb can be deduced. The relationship between pH, dielectric constant, and fb relies on knowing the values of the acidity dissociation constants of nicotine, which were determined for the first time in various PG/VG mixtures using a non-aqueous potentiometric titration. To validate the proposed method, the fraction fb was determined for commercials and lab-made nicotine salts utilizing the pH and LLE methods. The variation between the two methods was (<8.0%) for commercial e-liquids and lab-made nicotine salts containing lactic acid and salicylic acid. A larger discrepancy of up to 22% was observed for lab-made nicotine salts containing benzoic acid, which can be attributed to the stronger affinity of benzoic acid to toluene in the LLE method.

Nontargeted Analysis in Tobacco Research: Challenges and Opportunities.

Tobacco products are evolving at a pace that has outstripped tobacco control, leading to a high prevalence of tobacco use in the population. Researchers have been tirelessly developing suitable techniques to assess these products' emissions, toxicity, and public health impact. The nonclinical testing of tobacco products to assess the chemical profile of emissions is needed for evidence-based regulations. This testing has largely relied on targeted analytical methods that focus on constituent lists that may fall short in determining the toxicity of newly designed tobacco products. Nontargeted analysis (NTA), or the process of identifying and quantifying compounds within a complex matrix without prior knowledge of its chemical composition, is a promising technique for tobacco regulation, but it is not without challenges. The lack of standardized methods for sample generation, sample preparation, chromatographic separation, compound identification, and data analysis and reporting must be addressed so that the quality and reproducibility of the data generated by NTA can be benchmarked. This review discusses the challenges and highlights the opportunities of NTA in studying tobacco product constituents and emissions.

A Systematic Review of Analytical Methods for the Separation of Nicotine Enantiomers and Evaluation of Nicotine Sources.

The introduction of synthetic nicotine by the tobacco industry, also promoted as tobacco-free nicotine, presented new challenges for analytical chemists working in tobacco regulatory science to develop and optimize new methods to assess new nicotine parameters, namely enantiomer ratio and source. We conducted a systematic literature review of the available analytical methods to detect the nicotine enantiomer ratio and the source of nicotine using PubMed and Web of Science databases. Methods to detect nicotine enantiomers included polarimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gas and liquid chromatography. We also covered methods developed to detect the source of nicotine either indirectly via determining the nicotine enantiomer ratio or the detection of tobacco-specific impurities or directly using the isotope ratio enrichment analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (site-specific natural isotope fractionation and site-specific peak intensity ratio) or accelerated mass spectrometry. This review presents an accessible summary of all these analytical methods.

Effects of Aftermarket Electronic Cigarette Pods on Device Power Output and Nicotine, Carbonyl, and ROS Emissions.

Aftermarket pods designed to operate with prevalent electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products such as JUUL are marketed as low-cost alternatives that allow the use of banned flavored liquids. Subtle differences in the design or construction of aftermarket pods may intrinsically modify the performance of the ENDS device and the resulting nicotine and toxicant emissions relative to the original equipment manufacturer's product. In this study, we examined the electrical output of a JUUL battery and the aerosol emissions when four different brands of aftermarket pods filled with an analytical-grade mixture of propylene glycol, glycerol, and nicotine were attached to it and puffed by machine. The aerosol emissions examined included total particulate matter (TPM), nicotine, carbonyl compounds (CCs), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also compared the puff-resolved power and TPM outputs of JUUL and aftermarket pods. We found that all aftermarket pods drew significantly greater electrical power from the JUUL battery during puffing and had different electrical resistances and resistivity. In addition, unlike the case with the original pods, we found that with the aftermarket pods, the power provided by the battery did not vary greatly with flow rate or puff number, suggesting impairment of the temperature control circuitry of the JUUL device when used with the aftermarket pods. The greater power output with the aftermarket pods resulted in up to three times greater aerosol and nicotine output than the original product. ROS and CC emissions varied widely across brands. These results highlight that the use of aftermarket pods can greatly modify the performance and emissions of ENDS. Consumers and public health authorities should be made aware of the potential increase in the level of toxicant exposure when aftermarket pods are employed.

Comparison of design characteristics and toxicant emissions from Vuse Solo and Alto electronic nicotine delivery systems.

INTRODUCTION: Vuse Solo is the first electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the USA. Salient features of the Vuse Solo product such as nicotine form, draw resistance, power regulation and electrical characteristics have not been reported previously, and few studies have examined the nicotine and other toxicant emissions of this product. We investigated the design characteristics and toxicant emissions of the Solo as well as Alto, another Vuse product with a greater market share than Solo. METHODS: Total/freebase nicotine, propylene glycol to vegetable glycerin ratio, carbonyl compounds (CC) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were quantified by gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence from aerosol emissions generated in 15 puffs of 4 s duration. The electric power control system was also analysed. RESULTS: The average power delivered was 2.1 W and 3.9 W for Solo and Alto; neither system was temperature-controlled. Vuse Solo and Alto, respectively, emitted nicotine at a rate of 38 µg/s and 115 µg/s, predominantly in the protonated form (>90%). Alto's ROS yield was similar to a combustible cigarette and one order of magnitude greater than that of Solo. Total carbonyls from both products were two orders of magnitude lower than combustible cigarettes. CONCLUSION: Vuse Solo is an above-Ohm ENDS that emits approximately one-third the nicotine flux of a Marlboro Red cigarette (129 µg/s) and considerably lower CC and ROS yields than a combustible cigarette. With its higher power, the nicotine flux and ROS yield from Alto are similar to Marlboro Red levels; Alto may thus present greater abuse liability than the lower sales-volume Solo.

Impact of smoking intensity and device cleaning on IQOS emissions: comparison with an array of cigarettes.

SIGNIFICANCE: IQOS is a heated tobacco product that has been widely advertised by Philip Morris International (PMI) as a reduced-exposure product compared with cigarettes. Reduced exposure results from reduced emission of toxicants which could be influenced by product constituents and user behaviour. This study aims to assess the influence of user behaviour, including device cleaning and puffing parameters, on toxicant emissions from IQOS. METHODS: IQOS aerosols were generated by a smoking machine using the combination of two cleaning protocols (after 1 stick vs 20 sticks) and five puffing regimes (including standard cigarette puffing regimes and IQOS-tailored regimes). The generated aerosols were analysed by targeted methods for phenol and carbonyl quantification, and by chemical screening for the identification of unknown compounds. RESULTS: Puffing parameters significantly affected phenol and carbonyl emissions while device cleaning had no effect. Harsher puffing conditions like more, longer, and larger puffs yielded higher levels for most toxicant emissions. Comparing the obtained data with data reported by PMI on 50 cigarette brands smoked under different puffing regimes showed various trends for phenol and carbonyl emissions, with IQOS emissions sometimes higher than cigarettes. Also, the chemical screening resulted in the tentative identification of ~100 compounds in the IQOS aerosols (most of limited toxicity data). CONCLUSION: This study showed that puffing parameters, but not device cleaning, have significant effects on carbonyl, phenol and other emissions. Data analysis highlighted the importance of comparing IQOS emissions with an array of commercial cigarettes tested under different puffing regimes before accepting reduced exposure claims.

Did JUUL alter the content of menthol pods in response to US FDA flavour enforcement policy?

BACKGROUND: The JUUL electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) remains popular in the USA and has a big prevalence among youth. In response to the popularity of JUUL and similar devices among youth, the US Food and Drug Administration issued in February 2020 an enforcement policy to remove all flavoured cartridge/pod-based e-cigarettes from the market except for tobacco and menthol. Subsequent studies showed that some users of the now-removed flavoured JUUL pods (especially cool mint) switched to menthol-flavoured JUUL pods with similar satisfaction. METHODS: We quantified menthol, nicotine, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerol (VG) in JUUL pod samples (Menthol, Classic Menthol and Cool Mint) that were purchased in 2017, 2018 and 2020 (only Menthol) to evaluate composition differences before and after the enforcement policy. We also analysed the samples to detect other cooling agents using a screening gas chromatography-mass spectrometry headspace method that we developed for this purpose. RESULTS: Menthol concentration was significantly higher in 2020 products than in products from prior years. Moreover, other cooling agents varied across pods. The PG/VG volume ratio was 27/63 in all pods examined. CONCLUSION: This study highlights how regulations intended to reduce e-cigarette prevalence among youth may influence changes in tobacco product characteristics in ways that regulators may not have foreseen.

Electrical features, liquid composition and toxicant emissions from 'pod-mod'-like disposable electronic cigarettes.

INTRODUCTION: Use of flavoured pod-mod-like disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has grown rapidly, particularly among cost-sensitive youth and young adults. To date, little is known about their design characteristics and toxicant emissions. In this study, we analysed the electrical and chemical characteristics and nicotine and pulmonary toxicant emission profiles of five commonly available flavoured disposable e-cigarettes and compared these data with those of a JUUL, a cartridge-based e-cigarette device that pod-mod-like disposables emulate in size and shape. METHODS: Device construction, electrical power and liquid composition were determined. Machine-generated aerosol emissions including particulate matter, nicotine, carbonyl compounds and heavy metals were also measured. Liquid and aerosol composition were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionisation detection, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: We found that unlike JUUL, disposable devices did not incorporate a microcontroller to regulate electrical power to the heating coil. Quality of construction varied widely. Disposable e-cigarette power ranged between 5 and 9 W and liquid nicotine concentration ranged between 53 and 85 mg/mL (~95% in the protonated form). In 15 puffs, total nicotine yield for the disposables ranged between 1.6 and 6.7 mg, total carbonyls ranged between 28 and 138 µg, and total metals ranged between 1084 and 5804 ng. JUUL emissions were near the floors of all of these ranges. CONCLUSIONS: Disposable e-cigarettes are designed with high nicotine concentration liquids and are capable of emitting much higher nicotine and carbonyl species relative to rechargeable look-alike e-cigarettes. These differences are likely due to the lower quality in construction, unreliable labelling and lack of temperature control regulation that limits the power during operation. From a public health perspective, regulating these devices is important to limit user exposure to carbonyls and nicotine, particularly because these devices are popular with youth and young adults.

Assessing toxicant emissions from e-liquids with DIY additives used in response to a potential flavour ban in e-cigarettes.

SIGNIFICANCE: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) aerosolise liquids that contain nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol and appealing flavours. In the USA, regulations have limited the availability of flavoured e-cigarettes in pod-based systems, and further tightening is expected. In response, some e-cigarette users may attempt to make their e-liquids (do-it-yourself, DIY). This study examined toxicant emissions from several aerosolised DIY e-liquids. METHODS: DIY additives were identified by reviewing users' responses to a hypothetical flavour ban, e-cigarette internet forums and DIY mixing internet websites. They include essential oils, cannabidiol, sucralose and ethyl maltol. E-liquids with varying concentrations and combinations of additives and tobacco and menthol flavours were prepared and were used to assess reactive oxygen species (ROS), carbonyl and phenol emissions in machine-generated aerosols. RESULTS: Data showed that adding DIY additives to unflavoured, menthol-flavoured or tobacco-flavoured e-liquids increases toxicant emissions to levels comparable with those from commercial flavoured e-liquids. Varying additive concentrations in e-liquids did not have a consistently significant effect on the tested emissions, yet increasing power yielded significantly higher ROS, carbonyl and phenol emissions for the same additive concentration. Adding nicotine to DIY e-liquids with sucralose yielded increase in some emissions and decrease in others, with freebase nicotine-containing e-liquid giving higher ROS emissions than that with nicotine salt. CONCLUSION: This study showed that DIY additives can impact aerosol toxicant emissions from e-cigarettes and should be considered by policymakers when restricting commercially available flavoured e-liquids.

Might limiting liquid nicotine concentration result in more toxic electronic cigarette aerosols?

Some jurisdictions have instituted limits on electronic cigarette (ECIG) liquid nicotine concentration, in an effort to control ECIG nicotine yield, and others are considering following suit. Because ECIG nicotine yield is proportional to the product of liquid nicotine concentration (milligram per millilitre) and device power (watts) regulations that limit liquid nicotine concentration may drive users to adopt higher wattage devices to obtain a desired nicotine yield. In this study we investigated, under various hypothetical regulatory limits on ECIG liquid nicotine concentration, a scenario in which a user of a common ECIG device (SMOK TF-N2) seeks to obtain in 15 puffs the nicotine emissions equivalent to one combustible cigarette (ie, 1.8 mg). We measured total aerosol and carbonyl compound (CC) yields in 15 puffs as a function of power (15-80 W) while all else was held constant. The estimated nicotine concentration needed to achieve combustible cigarette-like nicotine yield at each power level was then computed based on the measured liquid consumption. We found that for a constant nicotine yield of 1.8 mg, reducing the liquid nicotine concentration resulted in greater amount of liquid aerosolised (p<0.01) and greater CC emissions (p<0.05). Thus, if users seek a given nicotine yield, regulatory limits on nicotine concentration may have the unintended consequence of increasing exposure to aerosol and respiratory toxicants. This outcome demonstrates that attempting to control ECIG nicotine yield by regulating one factor at a time may have unintended health effects and highlights the need to consider multiple factors and outcomes simultaneously when designing regulations.

JUUL 'new technology' pods exhibit greater electrical power and nicotine output than previous devices.

In 2019, JUUL Labs began marketing in the European Union 'new technology' pods that incorporated a new wick that it claimed provided 'more satisfaction'. In this study, we compared design and materials of construction, electrical characteristics, liquid composition and nicotine and carbonyl emissions of new technology JUUL pods to their predecessors. Consistent with manufacturer's claims, we found that the new pods incorporated a different wicking material. However, we also found that the new pod design resulted in 50% greater nicotine emissions per puff than its predecessor, despite exhibiting unchanged liquid composition, device geometry and heating coil resistance. We found that when connected to the new technology pods, the JUUL power unit delivered a more consistent voltage to the heating coil. This behaviour suggests that the new coil-wick system resulted in better surface contact between the liquid and the temperature-regulated heating coil. Total carbonyl emissions did not differ across pod generations. That nicotine yields can be greatly altered with a simple substitution of wick material underscores the fragility of regulatory approaches that centre on product design rather than product performance specifications.

Vaped Humectants in E-Cigarettes Are a Source of Phenols.

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) have always been promoted as safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes. However, a growing amount of literature shows that while ECIGs do not involve combustion-derived toxicants, thermal degradation of the main constituents of ECIG liquid produces toxicants such as carbonyls. In this study, we report the detection of phenolic compounds in ECIG aerosols using a novel analytical method. The introduced method relies on liquid-liquid extraction to separate phenols from the major constituents of ECIG aerosol: propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerol (VG). Phenol emissions from ECIGs were tested at different powers, puff durations, PG/VG ratios, nicotine benzoate concentrations, and flow rates to assess the influence of these operating parameters on phenol formation. The performance metrics showed that the analytical method has high specificity and reliability to separate and quantify phenolic compounds in ECIG aerosols. Increasing power and puff duration significantly increased all phenol emissions, while flow rate had no significant effects. The phenol profile in the ECIG aerosol was dominated by the unsubstituted phenol that reached comparable levels to those of IQOS, combustible cigarettes, and waterpipe. In contrast, low levels of the more toxic phenolic compounds, like catechol and hydroxyquinone, were quantified in ECIG aerosols. Emission of toxicants is presented, for the first time in this study, as the yield per unit of time, or flux (µg/s), which is more suitable for interstudy and interproduct comparison. This work demonstrates a robust analytical method for isolating and quantifying phenol emissions in ECIG aerosols. Using this method, the study shows that phenols, which are not present in the simple solution of nicotine benzoate dissolved in mixtures of PG/VG, are formed upon vaping. Phenol emissions are independent of the nicotine benzoate concentration but significantly correlated with the PG/VG ratio. Emissions increased with power and puff duration, consistent with conditions that lead to a higher temperature and greater thermal degradation.

Hot Wires and Film Boiling: Another Look at Carbonyl Formation in Electronic Cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are a class of tobacco products that emit a nicotine-containing aerosol by heating and vaporizing a liquid. Apart from initiating nicotine addiction in nonsmokers, a persistent concern about these products is that their emissions often include high levels of carbonyl species, toxicants thought to cause most noncancer pulmonary diseases in smokers. This study examined whether the phenomenon of film boiling can account for observations of high carbonyl emissions under certain operating conditions and, if so, whether film boiling theory can be invoked to predict conditions where high carbonyl emissions are likely. We measured the critical heat flux for several common heating materials and liquids and carbonyl emissions for several ECIG types while varying the power. We found that emissions rise drastically whenever the power exceeds the value corresponding to the critical heat flux. While limiting the heat flux to below this threshold can greatly reduce carbonyl exposure, ECIG manufacturer operating instructions often exceed it. Product regulations that limit heat flux may reduce the public health burden of electronic cigarette use.

Impact of flavors and humectants on waterpipe tobacco smoking topography, subjective effects, toxicant exposure and intentions for continued use.

INTRODUCTION: The present study examined how the lack of characterising flavours and low levels of humectants may affect users' waterpipe tobacco (WT) smoking topography, subjective effects, toxicant exposure and intentions for continued use. METHODS: 89 WT smokers completed four ad libitum smoking sessions (characterising flavor/high humectant (+F+H); characterising flavor/low humectant (+F-H); no characterising flavor/high humectant (-F+H); no characterising flavor/low humectant (-F-H)) in a randomised cross-over design. WT was commercially available; same brand but nicotine levels were not held constant. A subsample (n=50) completed a standardised, 10-puff session preceding ad libitum smoking. Participants completed questionnaires, exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) testing and provided blood samples for plasma nicotine. Smoking topography was measured throughout the session. Post hoc analyses showed that -F+H and -F-H did not differ significantly in humectant levels. Therefore, these groups were collapsed in analyses (-F-H). RESULTS: WT smokers reported significantly greater satisfaction, liking, enjoyment and greater intentions for continued use when smoking +F+H compared with other WT products, with -F-H receiving the lowest ratings. Significant differences in topography were observed during standardised and ad libitum sessions, with the -F-H preparation leading to greater total inhaled volume and eCO boost, but lower nicotine boost compared with +F+H (all p<0.05). DISCUSSION: The findings demonstrate the importance of flavours and humectants on improving WT smoking experience and increasing the likelihood that users will want to initiate and continue smoking. Moreover, it demonstrates that flavours and humectants influence smoking behaviour and toxicant exposure in some unexpected ways that are important for regulatory efforts.

Comparison of CO, PAH, Nicotine, and Aldehyde Emissions in Waterpipe Tobacco Smoke Generated Using Electrical and Charcoal Heating Methods.

Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) has been characterized as a global epidemic. Waterpipe smoke has been shown to contain and deliver significant doses of many of the toxicants known to cause cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases in cigarette smokers. It has also been shown that the charcoal used to heat the tobacco contributes most of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carbon monoxide (CO) found in the smoke, two major causative agents in smoking-related lung cancer and heart disease, respectively. Possibly as a result of growing awareness of charcoal as a toxicant source, electrical heating elements (EHEs) are being marketed for waterpipe use as reduced harm charcoal substitutes. We measured thermal performance characteristics (tobacco burned, total aerosolized particulate matter) and toxicant emissions in WTS generated using three commercially available waterpipe EHEs and charcoal to examine the hypothesis that EHEs can function similarly to charcoal while presenting a reduced toxicant profile. Toxicants quantified included total particulate matter, nicotine, PAHs, CO, and volatile aldehydes delivered at the mouthpiece when the waterpipe was machine smoked using a standard protocol. We found that while EHEs involved an 80% reduction in total PAH and a 90% reduction in CO emissions, they also resulted in a several-fold increase in the potent respiratory toxicant acrolein. These mixed findings underscore the complexity of toxicant reduction by product manipulation and suggest that marketing EHEs as reduced harm products may be misleading.

Carbon Monoxide and Small Hydrocarbon Emissions from Sub-ohm Electronic Cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are routinely advertised as a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes. ECIGs have been shown to emit less toxicants than conventional cigarettes. This study presents for the first time the mouthpiece emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and small hydrocarbon gases, in addition to carbonyls, from a rebuildable atomizer sub-ohm device (SOD). Because ECIGs do not involve combustion, CO emissions are commonly thought to be a negligible component of ECIG aerosols. CO exposure is a major causative agent of heart disease among smokers. Aerosol generated by vaping a solution of propylene glycol and glycerol was collected in a small chamber. The gas phase was then directed for analysis to a long-path gas cell of a Fourier transform infrared instrument under reduced pressure. The effects of power, ECIG heating coil material, and coil geometry on the generation of small gases were assessed. Results showed that small gases, including CO, carbon dioxide, methane, ethylene, and acetylene, were detected in SOD-emitted gases. Electrical power and material of construction significantly affected the concentrations of the emitted gases. Nickel metal wire was more reactive than kanthal, nichrome, and stainless steel. Depending on use patterns and device operation, users of SOD devices may be exposed daily to similar levels of CO as are cigarette smokers. This finding casts doubt on the validity of CO as a biomarker to distinguish ECIG from tobacco cigarette use and suggests that some subset of ECIG users may be at risk from CO-related heart disease.

Free-Base and Total Nicotine, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Carbonyl Emissions From IQOS, a Heated Tobacco Product.

INTRODUCTION: IQOS is an emerging heated tobacco product marketed by Philip Morris International (PMI). Because the tobacco in IQOS is electrically heated and not combusted, PMI claims that it generates significantly lower toxicant levels than combustible cigarettes. To date, a few independent studies have addressed IQOS toxicant emissions, and none have reported reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the form of the nicotine emitted by the device. METHODS: In this study, IQOS aerosol was generated using a custom-made puffing machine. Two puffing regimens were used: Health Canada Intense and ISO. ROS, carbonyl compounds (CCs), and total nicotine and its partitioning between free-base and protonated forms were quantified in the IQOS aerosol by fluorescence, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography, respectively. The same toxicants were also quantified in combustible cigarette aerosols for comparison. In addition, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin were also measured in the IQOS tobacco and aerosol. RESULTS: IQOS and combustible cigarettes were found to emit similar quantities of total and free-base nicotine. IQOS total ROS (6.26 ± 2.72 nmol H2O2/session) and CC emissions (472 ± 19 µg/session) were significant, but 85% and 77% lower than levels emitted by combustible cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: IQOS emits harmful constituents that are linked to cancer, pulmonary disease, and addiction in cigarette smokers. For a given nicotine intake, inhalation exposure to ROS and CCs from IQOS is likely to be significantly less than that for combustible cigarettes. IMPLICATIONS: IQOS is PMI's new heated tobacco product. PMI claims that because IQOS heats and does not burn tobacco it generates low toxicant yields. We found that one IQOS stick can emit similar free-base and total nicotine yields as a combustible cigarette. A pack-a-day equivalent user of IQOS may experience significant inhalation exposure of ROS and CCs compared to background air. However, substituting IQOS for combustible cigarettes will likely result in far lower ROS and carbonyl inhalation exposure for a given daily nicotine intake.

Characteristics and toxicant emissions of JUUL electronic cigarettes.

INTRODUCTION: JUUL is an electronic cigarette (ECIG) with a compact form factor. It is prefilled with a liquid that is advertised to contain a high concentration of nicotine salt. JUUL commands 50% of the US ECIG market share, and its wide popularity with underage users has triggered unprecedented actions by the US FDA. Apart from its nicotine salt-containing liquid and compact form, a salient advertised design feature is a control circuit that limits the heating coil temperature, presumably reducing unwanted toxicants. In this study, several tobacco-flavoured JUUL devices were reverse engineered, and their aerosol emissions were studied. METHODS: Total nicotine and its partitioning (freebase and protonated), propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (PG/VG) ratio, and carbonyls were quantified by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The temperature control functionality of JUUL was investigated using a temperature-controlled bath in which the coil was submerged. RESULTS: The liquid nicotine concentration was found to be 69 mg/mL, and the liquid and aerosol PG/VG ratio was found to be 30/70. In 15 puffs, JUUL emitted 2.05 (0.08) mg of nicotine, overwhelmingly in the protonated form. Carbonyl yields were significantly lower than those reported for combustible cigarettes, but similar to other closed-system ECIG devices. The heating coil resistance was 1.6 (0.66) Ohm, while the maximum power delivered by the JUUL device was 8.1 W. The control circuit limited the peak operating temperature to approximately 215C. CONCLUSIONS: JUUL emits a high-nicotine concentration aerosol predominantly in the protonated form. JUUL's nicotine-normalised formaldehyde and total aldehyde yields are lower than other previously studied ECIGs and combustible cigarettes.

Toxicant inhalation among singleton waterpipe tobacco users in natural settings.

BACKGROUND: Studies that assess waterpipe tobacco smoking behaviour and toxicant exposure generally use controlled laboratory environments with small samples that may not fully capture real-world variability in human behaviour and waterpipe products. This study aimed to conduct real-time sampling of waterpipe tobacco use in natural environments using an in situ device. METHODS: We used the REALTIME sampling instrument: a validated, portable, self-powered device designed to sample automatically a fixed percentage of the aerosol flowing through the waterpipe mouthpiece during every puff. We recruited participants at café and home settings in Jordan and measured puffing behaviour in addition to inhalation exposure of total particulate matter (TPM), carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile aldehydes. We correlated total inhaled volume with five selected toxicants and calculated the regression line of this relationship. RESULTS: Averaged across 79 singleton sessions (52% male, mean age 27.0, 95% home sessions), sessions lasted 46.9 min and participants drew 290 puffs and inhaled 214 L per session. Mean quantities of inhaled toxicants per session were 1910 mg TPM, 259 mg CO, 5.0 mg nicotine, 117 ng benzo[a]pyrene and 198 ng formaldehyde. We found positive correlations between total inhaled volume and TPM (r=0.472; p<0.001), CO (r=0.751; p<0.001), nicotine (r=0.301, p=0.035) and formaldehyde (r=0.526; p<0.001), but a non-significant correlation for benzo[a]pyrene (r=0.289; p=0.056). CONCLUSIONS: In the natural environment, waterpipe tobacco users inhale large quantities of toxicants that induce tobacco-related disease, including cancer. Toxicant content per waterpipe session is at least equal, but for many toxicants several magnitudes of order higher, than that of a cigarette. Health warnings based on early controlled laboratory studies were well founded; if anything our findings suggest a greater exposure risk.