RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Detection of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural in the aerosol of electronic cigarettes
JF Tobacco Control
JO Tob Control
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP ii88
OP ii93
DO 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053220
VO 25
IS Suppl 2
A1 Sarah Soussy
A1 Ahmad EL-Hellani
A1 Rima Baalbaki
A1 Rola Salman
A1 Alan Shihadeh
A1 Najat A Saliba
YR 2016
UL http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/Suppl_2/ii88.abstract
AB Significance The wide availability of sweet flavours has been hypothesised as a factor in the popularity of electronic cigarette (ECIG), especially among youth. Saccharides, which are commonly used to impart a sweet flavour to ECIG liquids, thermally degrade to produce toxic compounds, like aldehydes and furans. This study investigates the formation of furanic compounds in aerosols when ECIG liquid solutions of varying sweetener concentrations are vaped under different power and puff duration.Methods Liquids are prepared by mixing aqueous sucrose, glucose or sorbitol solutions to a 70/30 propylene glycol/glycerin solution. Aerosols are generated and trapped on filter pads using a commercially available ECIG operating at 4.3 and 10.8 W and 4 and 8 s puff duration. Extraction, elimination of matrix interference and quantification are achieved using novel solid phase extraction and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods (GC-MS).Results Well-resolved GC peaks of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural (FA) are detected. Both HMF and FA are quantified in the aerosols of sweet-flavoured e-liquids under various vaping conditions. Levels of furan emissions are significantly correlated with electric power and sweetener concentration and not with puff duration. Unlike saccharides, the formation of HMF and FA from a sugar alcohol is negligible.Conclusions The addition of sweeteners to ECIG liquids exposes ECIG user to furans, a toxic class of compounds. Under certain conditions, the per-puff yield of HMF and FA in ECIG emissions is comparable to values reported for combustible cigarettes.