Chemical Characterization of Electronic Cigarette (e-cigs) Refill Liquids Prior to EU Tobacco Product Directive Adoption: Evaluation of BTEX Contamination by HS-SPME-GC-MS and Identification of Flavoring Additives by GC-MS-O

Abstract

The present study focused on the determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) concentration levels in 97 refill liquids for e-cigs selected by the Italian National Institute of Health as representative of the EU market between 2013 and 2015 prior to the implementation of the European Union (EU) Tobacco Product Directive (TPD). Most of the e-liquids investigated (85/97) were affected by BTEX contamination, with few exceptions observed (levels below the limit of quantification (LOQ) of headspace-solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) methodology). Across brands, concentration levels ranged from 2.7 to 30,200.0 µg/L for benzene, from 1.9 to 447.8 µg/L for ethylbenzene, from 1.9 to 1,648.4 µg/L for toluene and from 1.7 to 574.2 µg/L for m,p,o-xylenes. The variability observed in BTEX levels is likely to be related to the variability in contamination level of both propylene glycol and glycerol and flavoring additives included. No correlation was found with nicotine content. Moreover, on a limited number of e-liquids, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) analysis was performed, allowing the identification of key flavoring additives responsible of specific flavor notes. Among them, diacetyl is a flavoring additive of concern for potential toxicity when directly inhaled into human airways. The data reported are eligible to be included in the pre-TPD database and may represent a reference for the ongoing evaluation on e-liquids safety and quality under the current EU Legislation.

Effect Comparison of E-Cigarette and Traditional Smoking and Association with Stroke—A Cross-Sectional Study of NHANES

“…The higher odds of stroke in dual smokers suggest that e-cigarettes may have an additive effect on traditional smokers. The additive effect may be attributed to e-cigarette ingredients other than nicotine, like carbonyls, including aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein; fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PMs); benzene; toluene; ethylbenzene; and xylenes (BTEX) [8,[20][21][22][23]. Parekh et al also found higher odds of stroke among the young adult population (18-44 years) secondary to the additive effect of e-cigarettes (aOR: 2.91) on current or former traditional smokers (sole combustible cigarette OR: 1.83), without establishing a relationship between sole e-cigarette use and stroke [5].…”

Making Every Single Puff Count—Simple and Sensitive E-Cigarette Aerosol Sampling for GCxIMS and GC-MS Analysis

“…These samples are often diluted and injected directly [ 11 , 12 ]. In the case of gas chromatography (GC) and the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC), the use of headspace (HS) sampling [ 13 , 14 ] or solid phase microextraction (SPME) [ 15 ] is also quite common.…”

Preparation of Thermodesorption Tube Standards: Comparison of Usual Methods Using Accuracy Profile Evaluation

“…This paper is related to the preparation of TD-GC×GC calibration samples using a liquid standard mixture containing 48 VOC. The following three techniques were studied and compared: the first one, the simplest, is the manual deposit (MD) of the calibration solution directly on the head of the tube; the two other techniques were gas stream assisted deposit (GSAD) [1,[9][10][11], and vaporization followed by adsorption assisted by gas stream (VGSD) [6,[12][13][14].…”