title: Highly reactive free radicals in electronic cigarette aerosols.
abstract: Electronic cigarette (EC) usage has increased exponentially, but limited data are available on its potential harmful effects. We tested for the presence of reactive, short-lived free radicals in EC aerosols by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) using the spin-trap phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN). Radicals were detected in aerosols from all ECs and eliquids tested (2.5 × 10(13) to 10.3 × 10(13) radicals per puff at 3.3 V) and from eliquid solvents propylene glycol and glycerol and from "dry puffing". These results demonstrate, for the first time, the production of highly oxidizing free radicals from ECs which may present a potential toxicological risk to EC users.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS), Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey Pennsylvania 17033, United States.
authors.forename: Reema
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
authors.forename: Erwann
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trushin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prokopczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS), Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey Pennsylvania 17033, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foulds
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS), Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey Pennsylvania 17033, United States.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Richie
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D005609:Free Radicals