title: Skin contamination as pathway for nicotine intoxication in vapers.
abstract: Growing warnings on health effects related to electronic cigarettes have met inconclusive findings at present. This study analyzed the in vitro percutaneous absorption of nicotine resulting by skin contamination with two e-liquids (refill 1 and 2) containing nicotine at 1.8%. Donor chambers of 6 Franz cells for each refill liquid were filled with 1mL of nicotine e-liquid for 24h; at selected intervals, 1.5mL of the receptor solutions were collected for nicotine concentration analysis by mean gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LOD: 0.01μg/mL). The experiment was repeated removing the nicotine donor solution after 10min from the application and rinsing the skin surface three times with 3.0mL of milliQ water. A total of 12 cells with 24h exposure and 12 cells washed were studied. The mean concentration of nicotine in the receiving phase at the end of the experiment was 54.9±29.5 and 30.2±18.4μg/cm2for refill 1 and 2 respectively and significantly lower in washed cells (4.7±2.4 and 3.5±1.3μg/cm2). The skin absorption of nicotine can lead to minor health illness in vapers, while caution must be paid to dermal contamination by e liquids in children. The skin cleaning significantly reduced the transdermal absorption kinetic and intradermal deposition of nicotine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Via Zuretti 29, 10126 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.maina@unito.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maina
authors.affiliation: City of Health and Science Hospital, Corso Bramante 88/90, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castagnoli
authors.affiliation: City of Health and Science Hospital, Corso Bramante 88/90, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghione
authors.affiliation: City of Health and Science Hospital, Corso Bramante 88/90, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Passini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adami
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, University of Trieste, Via della Pietà 29, 34129 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Larese Filon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crosera
mesh_terms: D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012869:Skin Absorption
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: E-cigarettes; E-liquids; In vitro experiment; Nicotine; Percutaneous absorption; Vaper