TY - JOUR
T1 - Volatile organic compounds in regular and organic vaping liquids
T2 - a public health concern
AU - Goodman, Nigel
AU - Nematollahi, Neda
AU - Weinberg, Justine Lew
AU - Flattery, Jennifer
AU - Kolev, Spas D.
AU - Tong, Michael
AU - Vardoulakis, Sotiris
AU - Steinemann, Anne
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by RMIT Univeristy through the Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, The Univeristy of Melbourne, and the Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network from the National Health and Medical Research Council Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change (NHMRC Grant No. 2008937). SDK is grateful for the financial support provided by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, project No BG-RRP-2.004-0008.
Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge support from RMIT Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of institutions.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a growing public health concern. Vaping liquids used in e-cigarettes emit a range of chemicals, including potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to VOCs is associated with adverse effects including asthma attacks, neurological disorders, and increased risk of cancer. This study investigated the VOCs emitted into the headspace of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer from e-cigarette vaping liquids, identified potentially hazardous compounds, and compared emissions between regular and organic versions. Vaping liquids (n = 25) were randomly selected from the market and analysed for their volatile emissions using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The products were available for sale in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, and included regular (flavoured and flavourless) and organic (flavoured) versions. Results revealed that the vaping liquids collectively emitted 162 VOCs with 47 classified as potentially hazardous. Notably, all of the flavoured vaping liquids (regular and organic) emitted one or more VOCs classified as potentially hazardous. Further, among the 47 VOC occurrences classified as potentially hazardous, none were listed on any vaping liquid label or related product website. We found no significant difference in VOCs emitted between the regular (flavoured) and organic (flavoured) vaping liquids, and 40% of the hazardous VOCs detected were the same among these regular and organic versions. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that vaping liquids are a source of exposure to numerous volatile compounds, including potentially hazardous VOCs such as benzene, toluene and xylene. Moreover, the long-term health effects of vaping liquids are not well understood, highlighting the need for improved information on ingredients and health risks.
AB - Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a growing public health concern. Vaping liquids used in e-cigarettes emit a range of chemicals, including potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to VOCs is associated with adverse effects including asthma attacks, neurological disorders, and increased risk of cancer. This study investigated the VOCs emitted into the headspace of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer from e-cigarette vaping liquids, identified potentially hazardous compounds, and compared emissions between regular and organic versions. Vaping liquids (n = 25) were randomly selected from the market and analysed for their volatile emissions using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The products were available for sale in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, and included regular (flavoured and flavourless) and organic (flavoured) versions. Results revealed that the vaping liquids collectively emitted 162 VOCs with 47 classified as potentially hazardous. Notably, all of the flavoured vaping liquids (regular and organic) emitted one or more VOCs classified as potentially hazardous. Further, among the 47 VOC occurrences classified as potentially hazardous, none were listed on any vaping liquid label or related product website. We found no significant difference in VOCs emitted between the regular (flavoured) and organic (flavoured) vaping liquids, and 40% of the hazardous VOCs detected were the same among these regular and organic versions. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that vaping liquids are a source of exposure to numerous volatile compounds, including potentially hazardous VOCs such as benzene, toluene and xylene. Moreover, the long-term health effects of vaping liquids are not well understood, highlighting the need for improved information on ingredients and health risks.
KW - E-cigarette
KW - E-liquid
KW - Emissions
KW - Flavour
KW - Public health
KW - Vaping liquid
KW - Volatile organic compounds
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204205998&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11869-024-01645-9
DO - 10.1007/s11869-024-01645-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85204205998
SN - 1873-9318
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health
JF - Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health
ER -