Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) have gained incredible popularity around the world since their introduction in 2003. Although the “e-juice” is heated instead of combusted like with tobacco, the thermal degradation process may still produce compounds that adversely affect human health. However, the wide range of additives and complex decomposition chemistry of e-juice present a challenge to the characterization and quantification of chemicals in e-cigarette emissions. We used a combination of analytical and theoretical techniques to identify and quantify analytes in the e-cigarette vapor phase and aerosols, which is used to understand health effects and degradation mechanisms: (1) chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) using CF3O- reagent for in-situ analysis of polar trace gases in the vapor such as hydroxyacetone, (2) liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS) for quantification of carbonyls and nicotine, (3) scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) for the in-situ analysis of particle characteristics, and (4) theoretical calculations of ESI deprotonation potential to extend the quantification capability of LC-ESI-HRMS. We have quantified over 30 different compounds in e-cigarette emissions and identified numerous others. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of the quantification of several complex degradation products in e-cigarettes. We will discuss the analytical results with respect to the e-juice decomposition chemistry. Our work demonstrates new applications of techniques for the chemical analysis of multi-functional analytes in vapor and aerosol research, which will yield a better understanding of the health risk of using e-cigarettes.

Applications of in-situ mass spectrometry, high resolution mass spectrometry, and theoretical methods to the analysis of e-cigarette thermal degradation chemistry

2019 Fall National Meeting

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