High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Carbonyl Emissions from E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products

Abstract

A quantitative method was developed to measure four harmful carbonyls (acetaldehyde, acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and formaldehyde) in aerosol generated from e-cigarette, or vaping, products (EVPs). The method uses a commercially available sorbent bed treated with a derivatization solution to trap and stabilize reactive carbonyls in aerosol emissions from EVPs to reduce reactive analyte losses and improve quantification. Analytes were extracted from the sorbent material using acetonitrile and analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The method was applied to aerosols generated from products obtained from case patients with EVP use-associated lung injury (EVALI). The method accuracy ranged from 93.6 to 105% in the solvent and 99.0 to 112% in the matrix. Limits of detection (LODs) were in the low nanogram range at 0.735–2.10 ng for all analytes, except formaldehyde at 14.7 ng. Intermediate precision, as determined from the replicate measurements of quality-control (QC) samples, showed a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 20% for all analytes. The EVALI case-related products delivered aerosol containing the following ranges of carbonyls: acetaldehyde (0.0856–5.59 μg), acrolein (0.00646–1.05 μg), crotonaldehyde (0.00168–0.108 μg), and formaldehyde (0.0533–12.6 μg). At least one carbonyl analyte was detected in every product. Carbonyl deliveries from EVALI-associated products of all types are consistent with the previously published results for e-cigarettes, and levels are lower than those observed in smoke from combustible cigarettes. This method is rugged, has high throughput, and is well suited for quantifying four harmful carbonyls in aerosol emissions produced by a broad spectrum of devices/solvents, ranging from e-cigarette containing polar solvents to vaping products containing nonpolar solvents.

A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe Dye-Functionalized MOFs Integrated with Logic Gate Operation for Efficient Detection of Acetaldehyde

“…Prolonged exposure to acetaldehyde can pose significant health risks, including cognitive impairment such as memory loss, hallucinations and the loss of intelligence [7,8]. The traditional methods for detecting acetaldehyde primarily involve gas chromatography (GC) [9]/flame ionization detection (FID) [10,11], headspace injection GC [12], and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [13]. However, these methods often necessitate lengthy processes, intricate equipment, and costly reagents, making them unsuitable for the rapid, sensitive, and intuitive on-site detection of acetaldehyde.…”

Simultaneous Determination by Selective Esterification of Trimellitic, Phthalic, and Maleic Anhydrides in the Presence of Respective Acids

“…For this reason, in the presence of more complex mixtures, in which there is the possibility to have anhydride and acid simultaneously, as well as polymeric compounds made by two different analytes (e.g., maleic-phthalic polyester resins), the possibility to obtain differentiation between these species could be significant in terms of labeling the hazard risk of the final mixture. In this scenario, chromatographic techniques like gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC), often coupled with mass spectrometry (MS), are suitable tools for the analysis of complex mixtures: − in particular, several analytical methods are reported in the literature for the recognition via GC of cyclic anhydrides . The main strategy, developed in the 80s to 90s, is the esterification of the carboxylic groups using boron trifluoride-methanol (BF 3 ·MeOH) in an anhydrous environment before the analysis by GC–MS instruments, and it has been successfully and widely applied to TMA, , hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA), , and PAc for air and urine samples in the occupational exposure assessment.…”