| Summary: | Introduction
Although e-cigarettes share common features such as power units,
heating elements and e-liquids, the variability in design and possibility for
customization represent potential risks for consumers. A main health concern is
the exposure to carbonyl compounds, which are formed from the main components
of e-liquids, propylene glycol and glycerol, through thermal decomposition. Levels
of carbonyl emissions in e-cigarette aerosols depend, amongst others, on the
power supplied to the coil. Thus, e-cigarettes with adjustable power outputs
might lead to high exposures to carbonyls if the users increase the power output
excessively. The aim of this work was to elucidate the generation of carbonyls in
relation to undue battery power setting.
Material and Methods
Carbonyl emissions were generated by two modular e-cigarettes equipped
with two atomizers containing coils of different resistance following the ISO
20768:2018 method. The battery power output was increased from the lower
wattage level to above the power range recommended by the producer. Carbonyls
were trapped by a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) solution and analysed by
LC-MS/MS.
Results
The amount of carbonyl emissions increased with increasing power setting.
An exponential incline was observed when the applied power level exceeded the
recommended power range. Exceeding the recommended power range by just
5 watts resulted in up to twenty times the amount of carbonyls emitted at the
recommended upper power level. Generation of acetaldehyde and acrolein next
to other carbonyls was prominent at high power outputs.
Conclusions
E-cigarettes with customisable power setting might generate high
amounts of carbonyls if the battery power output is set by the consumer to levels
above the recommended range. This represents a high risk of exposure to carbonyls
and thus should be avoided by integrating safety features in e-cigarette devices
to limit the possible power settings to the range specified by the manufacturer.
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