title: Environmental health hazards of e-cigarettes and their components: Oxidants and copper in e-cigarette aerosols.
abstract: To narrow the gap in our understanding of potential oxidative properties associated with Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) i.e. e-cigarettes, we employed semi-quantitative methods to detect oxidant reactivity in disposable components of ENDS/e-cigarettes (batteries and cartomizers) using a fluorescein indicator. These components exhibit oxidants/reactive oxygen species reactivity similar to used conventional cigarette filters. Oxidants/reactive oxygen species reactivity in e-cigarette aerosols was also similar to oxidant reactivity in cigarette smoke. A cascade particle impactor allowed sieving of a range of particle size distributions between 0.450 and 2.02 μm in aerosols from an e-cigarette. Copper, being among these particles, is 6.1 times higher per puff than reported previously for conventional cigarette smoke. The detection of a potentially cytotoxic metal as well as oxidants from e-cigarette and its components raises concern regarding the safety of e-cigarettes use and the disposal of e-cigarette waste products into the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Chad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Isaac K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Sundar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elder
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Done
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurtzman
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ossip
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA.
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. Electronic address: irfan_rahman@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D004782:Environmental Health; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D009538:Nicotine; D016877:Oxidants; D010316:Particle Size; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D016877:Oxidants; D012906:Smoke; D009538:Nicotine; D003300:Copper
keywords: Copper; ENDS; EPR; Electronic cigarettes; Oxidants; ROS