Effect of Heating on Physicochemical Property of Aerosols during Vaping.

Tae-Jun Ko,Shin Ae Kim

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031892

Abstract

Many electronic cigarette manufacturers have offered different types of “high-end mods” that allow for controlled heating of the e-liquid. However, the controlled heating condition can drastically alter the inhaled aerosols’ physical properties and chemical substances, causing potential health risks. To investigate the contribution of heating on aerosol properties, we used four common power settings in the mods to conduct a physicochemical analysis. Our data showed that the aerosol mass and nicotine content in the aerosols increased at high power. Additionally, high power led to aerosolization of a viscous component in the e-liquid, increasing the viscosity of aerosol. However, the pH of the aerosol was constant regardless of the applied power. In addition, high-power operation made nicotine prone to oxidation, resulting in the color of the aerosol turning yellow. Lastly, we demonstrated that e-cigarette aerosol could contain various metals, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, lead, and zinc. Even though these metal contents proportionally increased with the power setting, they remained far below the recommended exposure limits. Our finding demonstrates that the heating conditions of the e-cigarette change the physicochemical properties of the aerosols and their metal contents, thereby possibly affecting users’ oral and respiratory systems.

Highlights

E-cigarettes are electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) designed to produce aerosols for vaping
A heating coil embedded in the e-cigarette heats up using Joule heating to vaporize e-liquids that consist of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavoring agents [1]
To understand the correlation between the power setting and the temperature distribution of an e-cigarette device, we firstly assessed the spatial and temporal temperature distribution of a vape tank that consisted of the mouthpiece, the top cap, the glass tube, the coil head, and the base (Figure 1a) using an IR camera with different power settings, i.e., 20, 40, 60, and 80 W

Summary

Introduction

E-cigarettes are electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) designed to produce aerosols for vaping. A heating coil embedded in the e-cigarette heats up using Joule heating to vaporize e-liquids that consist of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavoring agents [1]. In contrast to traditional combustible tobacco, the e-cigarette only vaporizes aerosols, which are generally believed to be a less harmful alternative. For this reason, the e-cigarette is being chosen as a smoking cessation option. The e-cigarette is being chosen as a smoking cessation option It has been gaining remarkable popularity among people who aim to quit or reduce tobacco smoking.

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Conclusion