Summary
Introduction:
This article presents the results of a study that aimed to inform toxicologists, sensory scientists, and regulators by determining and comparing the flavoring compositions of electronic cigarette refill solutions (e-liquids) with various flavor descriptions. The study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify 79 flavorings in 320 e-liquids, classified in 15 flavor categories.
Key Points:
* The mean number of flavorings per e-liquid is 6 ± 4.
* Flavoring prevalence is highest for vanillin, ethyl butyrate, and cis-3-hexenol.
* Four clusters of flavor categories were distinguished based on similarities in flavoring prevalence.
* Categories from cluster 4 generally had less flavorings per e-liquid than fruit, candy, alcohol, beverages (cluster 1) and dessert (cluster 2) (p < 0.05).
* Flavoring concentrations varied between e-liquids within the categories.
* The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, repeatability, recovery, and sensitivity.
* The study provides new insights by comparing flavoring compositions of e-liquids in more than 200 different flavor descriptions across multiple flavor categories.
Main Message:
The study provides valuable information about the flavoring compositions of e-liquids, which can be used by toxicologists, sensory scientists, and regulators to assess the potential harm and appeal of e-cigarettes. The results show that e-liquids from some flavor categories are more similar in terms of flavoring compositions than others, which can inform regulatory actions and product descriptions. additionally, the study highlights the need for further research to compare flavoring concentrations between individual flavor categories and to investigate whether manufacturers create different types of e-liquid flavors by varying flavoring concentrations besides adding distinct compounds.
Citation
Krüsemann EJZ, Pennings JLa, Cremers JWJM, Bakker F, Boesveldt S, Talhout R. GC-MS analysis of e-cigarette refill solutions: a comparison of flavoring composition between flavor categories. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. 2020;188:113364. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113364
