assessing variability of aerosols generated from e-Cigarettes.

Introduction:
This article discusses a study that aimed to characterize the variability of particle mass, number concentrations, and size distributions of e-cigarette aerosols generated from different devices and e-liquid compositions. The study also sought to develop a system that minimizes this variability.

Key Points:

* The study used four identical exposure chambers and generated e-cigarette aerosols into them using two types of e-cig devices: Suorin air Plus and Vinci.
* Four different e-liquid compositions were tested, and near real-time particle number and mass distributions were measured using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and an aerosol Particle Sizer (aPS).
* One-way analysis of variance (aNOVa) was conducted to look at the differences in the variability of near-real time measurements between and within the experiments conducted on different days.
* The study found that the aerosol size distribution was not significantly different between aerosols from different e-liquids. however, the number size distributions measured by SMPS and aPS together indicated a unimodal distribution of particles, which contradicts some previous studies that reported a bimodal distribution.
* The study also found that the variability in size distribution and mass concentration was statistically significant between repeated experiments on different days.
* The authors suggest that the variability seen in the Suorin devices is due to poor quality control of the devices themselves, and they propose a modified design setup for future studies and for the development of standardized protocols for generation of aerosols from e-cigarettes.

Main Message:
This study highlights the need for a better understanding of all the factors affecting exposures in in vitro and in vivo experiments involving e-cigarettes, and the development of standardized protocols for generation and measurement of e-cigarette aerosols. The study also underscores the importance of considering the variability in e-cigarette aerosol properties when assessing the potential health risks associated with e-cigarette use.

Das D, alam El Din SM, Pulczinski J, et al. assessing variability of aerosols generated from e-Cigarettes. Inhalation toxicology. 2022;34(3-4):90-98. doi:10.1080/08958378.2022.2044414