E-Cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have recently became popular choices for nicotine consumption due to the lower perceived harm compared to conventional tobacco products. Currently only nicotine levels in e-cig fluids are regulated by FDA. Besides nicotine and solvents such as propylene glycol and glycerin contained in e-cig fluids, however, many other components (e.g. flavors and other additives) and thermal degradants may be present and could impact the user’s health. Our lab proposed to use direct sample injection (DSI) GC-MS/MS as a fast and reliable instrumental method to analyze the e-cig fluid components and their thermal degradants generated in a simulated ENDS-like environment within the DSI enclosure. DSI GC-MS/MS separates and detects the target analytes even in the presence of a complex, viscous, and often “dirty” sample matrix.<br/>DSI utilizes a programmable-temperature vaporization (PTV) injector in conjunction with a ChromatoProbe steel accessory, in which a solid or liquid sample in a disposable glass vial can be heated and vapors introduced to the GC column for separation. DSI can be used to mimic the heating behavior of an e-cigarette atomizer and introduce the e-cig vapors and degradants into GC-MS/MS at almost real-time. After GC separation, target identification is carried out through the monitoring of signature ion fragments of the eluted substances in EIC generated by tandem MS. Therefore, the e-cig components and thermal degradation products can be identified and analyzed independent of the matrix.<br/>After the GC-MS analysis, the nicotine contents were found to be comparable to reported values and those generated by conventional GC-FID and GC-MS. Subsequently, through tandem mass spectrometry, signature ion fragments for thermal breakdown components (e.g. aldehydes) were detected and quantified. Relative peak ratios of those thermal breakdown products and an internal standard were employed to study the effects of temperature ramp rate, maximum heating temperature, and maximum temperature hold time on the outcomes of thermal-degradation.

Analysis of E-cigarette fluids with direct sample injection (DSI) GC-MS/MS

255th National Meeting (2018)

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