Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes: Key Parameters affecting the Release of harmful Chemicals

Introduction:
This text is a scientific study on the emissions of harmful chemicals from electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The study aims to identify the key parameters that influence these emissions and the chemical pathways that yield harmful compounds. a follow-up paper will investigate the predicted health impacts of active and passive exposures to these emissions.

Key Points:

* The study used six principal constituents in three different e-liquids and found that the e-cigarette aerosols contained up to 31 compounds, including nicotine, nicotyrine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glycidol, acrolein, acetol, and diacetyl.
* Glycidol is a probable carcinogen not previously identified in the vapor, and acrolein is a powerful irritant.
* Emission rates ranged from tens to thousands of nanograms of toxicants per milligram of e-liquid vaporized, and they were significantly higher for a single-coil vs a double-coil vaporizer.
* By increasing the voltage applied to a single-coil device from 3.3 to 4.8 V, the mass of e-liquid consumed doubled, and the total aldehyde emission rates tripled, with acrolein rates growing by a factor of 10.
* aldehyde emissions increased by more than 60% after the device was reused several times, likely due to the buildup of polymerization byproducts that degraded upon heating.
* Glycidol and acrolein were primarily produced by glycerin degradation, acetol and 2-propen-1-ol were produced mostly from PG, while other compounds (e.g., formaldehyde) originated from both.
* The findings suggest that thermal degradation byproducts are formed during vapor generation, and harmful emissions are expected to be ubiquitous when e-cigarette vapor is present.

Main Message:
The study highlights the potential health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes, particularly the emissions of harmful chemicals. The key parameters that influence these emissions, such as the voltage applied and the number of coils in the vaporizer, can significantly increase or decrease the levels of these chemicals. The study emphasizes the need for further investigation into the health impacts of active and passive exposures to these emissions and the importance of regulating the manufacturing and distribution of e-cigarettes to minimize the risks associated with their use.

Sleiman, Mohamad, Jennifer M. Logue, V. Nahuel Montesinos, Marion L. Russell, Marta I. Litter, Lara a. Gundel, and hugo Destaillats. “Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes: Key Parameters affecting the Release of harmful Chemicals.” Environmental Science & Technology 50, no. 17 (September 6, 2016): 9644–51. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b01741.