Toxicity assessment of refill liquids for electronic cigarettes.
We analyzed 42 models from 14 brands of refill liquids for e-cigarettes for the presence of micro-organisms, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, hydrocarbons, ethanol, aldehydes, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and solvents. All the liquids under scrutiny complied with norms for the absence of yeast, mold, aerobic microbes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol and ethanol were detected, but remained within limits authorized for food and pharmaceutical products. Terpenic compounds and aldehydes were found in the products, in particular formaldehyde and acrolein. No sample contained nitrosamines at levels above the limit of detection (1 μg/g). Residual solvents such as 1,3-butadiene, cyclohexane and acetone, to name a few, were found in some products. None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of potentially toxic compounds. However, for products other than nicotine, the oral acute toxicity of the e-liquids tested seems to be of minor concern. However, a minority of liquids, especially those with flavorings, showed particularly high ranges of chemicals, causing concerns about their potential toxicity in case of chronic oral exposure.
Unit of Toxicology, University Center of Legal Medicine, 1000 Lausanne 25, Switzerland. vincent.varlet@chuv.ch.
Vincent
V
Varlet
Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Kallithea 17674, Greece. kfarsalinos@gmail.com.|Department of Pharmacology, University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece. kfarsalinos@gmail.com.
Konstantinos
K
Farsalinos
Unit of Toxicology, University Center of Legal Medicine, 1000 Lausanne 25, Switzerland. marc.augsburger@chuv.ch.
Marc
M
Augsburger
Unit of Toxicology, University Center of Legal Medicine, 1000 Lausanne 25, Switzerland. aurelien.thomas@chuv.ch.|Swiss Center of Applied Human Toxicology, University of Lausanne, 1000 Lausanne 25, Switzerland. aurelien.thomas@chuv.ch.
Aurélien
A
Thomas
Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Jean-Francois.Etter@unige.ch.
Jean-François
JF
Etter
D000391:Air Microbiology; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012997:Solvents