Carbonyls and Carbon Monoxide Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes affected by Device Type and Use Patterns.

Introduction:
This article presents a comprehensive study on how different e-cigarette types and use patterns affect e-cigarette emissions of carbonyls and carbon monoxide (CO). The study examines four popular e-cigarette devices and tests them under various conditions to determine the impact on emissions. The key points and main message of the article are outlined below.

Key Points:

* The study found that higher carbonyl and CO levels are associated with higher power settings, longer puff durations, and e-liquids with flavors.
* The top-coil type was found to produce the highest emissions among the studied devices under the vaping conditions used in this study.
* The 'pod' type device (i.e., JUUL) could emit significantly higher levels of nicotine than other devices, which could increase the risk of addiction, especially among the youth.
* Carbonyl and CO emissions correlated with each other for all e-cigarette devices and e-liquids studied. however, these correlations varied among devices and e-liquid flavors, suggesting that chemical processes leading to carbonyl and CO formation depend largely on e-liquid components other than PG and VG, i.e., on e-liquid flavorings.
* The study demonstrated that carbonyl and CO emissions not only strongly depend on vaping topography but also vary among e-cigarette types.
* The current e-cigarette testing protocols, such as ISO and CORESTa, cannot adequately predict e-cigarette emissions at the wide range of real-world e-cigarette vaping patterns.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of regulating both e-liquid nicotine content and harmful chemical emissions to better protect public health. The regulatory agencies should inform youth and their parents about the potential risks of vaping and the high nicotine content of JUUL-like devices. The study also highlights the need for a more robust e-cigarette testing protocol to better aid regulators, policy makers, and public health professionals. The findings of this study have significant implications for regulating e-cigarette flavorings, as they clearly influence production of harmful constituents.

Son Y, Bhattarai C, Samburova V, Khlystov a. Carbonyls and Carbon Monoxide Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes affected by Device Type and Use Patterns. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(8). doi:10.3390/ijerph17082767