The Emission of VOCs and CO from Heated Tobacco Products, Electronic Cigarettes, and Conventional Cigarettes, and Their Health Risk.

Fengju Lu,Peng Zhao,Ran Sun,Lijun Liu,Chaoxian Chen,Boxiong Shen,Miao Yu

doi:10.3390/toxics10010008

Abstract

The differences in aerosol composition between new tobacco types (heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes) and conventional cigarettes have not been systematically studied. In this study, the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, and tar from heated tobacco products (HTPs), electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and conventional cigarettes were compared, and their health risks were evaluated by applying the same smoking regime and a loss mechanism of smoking. Twenty VOCs were identified in aerosols from HTPs, 18 VOCs were identified in aerosols from e-cigarettes, and 97 VOCs were identified in aerosols from cigarettes by GC–MS and HPLC analysis. The concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) emitted by the three types of tobacco products decreased as follows: e-cigarettes (795.4 mg/100 puffs) > cigarettes (83.29 mg/100 puffs) > HTPs (15.65 mg/100 puffs). The nicotine content was 24.63 ± 2.25 mg/100 puffs for e-cigarettes, 22.94 ± 0.03 mg/100 puffs for cigarettes, and 8.817 ± 0.500 mg/100 puffs for HTPs. When using cigarettes of the same brand, the mass concentrations of VOCs, tar, and CO emitted by HTPs were approximately 81.2%, 95.9%, and 97.5%, respectively, lower than the amounts emitted by cigarettes. The health risk results demonstrated that the noncarcinogenic risk of the three types of tobacco products decreased as follows: cigarettes (3609.05) > HTPs (2449.70) > acceptable level (1) > e-cigarettes (0.91). The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) decreased as follows: cigarettes (2.99 × 10−4) > HTPs (9.92 × 10−5) > e-cigarettes (4.80 × 10−5) > acceptable level (10−6). In general, HTPs and e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes when the emission of VOCs and CO was considered.

Highlights

Twenty volatile organic compounds (VOCs) existed in the mainstream aerosols of heated tobacco products (HTPs), 18 VOCs were present in the aerosols from e-cigarettes, and
It is worth detecting and analysing the emission characteristics of tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide (CO), and VOCs, the main components emitted from smoking, from HTP, e-cigarettes, and cigarettes
Fewer than 20 VOCs were found in the aerosols of HTPs and e-cigarettes, but more than 90 VOCs were present in the mainstream smoke of cigarettes

Summary

Introduction

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metal elements, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) from tobacco combustion processes [1,2,3,4] will increase the occurrence of lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, chronic obstruction, neurotoxicity, and pulmonary diseases in humans [5,6]. Over 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, and 65,000 children die from illnesses attributable to secondhand smoke [7]. The toxic elements (mercury, chromium, cadmium, and lead), VOCs, carbonyl compounds, and PAHs in main- and side-stream smoke of cigarettes have been analysed [1,2,3,4,8].

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