Abstract
Objectives: To assess the chemical composition of electronic cigarette liquids (e-liquids) sold in Australia, in both their fresh and aged forms. Design, setting: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of commercial e-liquids sold in Australia (online and physical stores). Main outcome measures: Chemical composition of 65 Australian e-liquids — excipients/solvents, flavouring chemicals, other known e-liquid constituents (including nicotine), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — before and after an accelerated ageing process that simulated the effects of vaping. Results: The measured levels of propylene glycol and glycerol often diverged from those recorded on the e-liquid label. All e-liquids contained one or more potentially harmful chemicals, including benzaldehyde, menthol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nicotine or nicotyrine were detected in a small proportion of e-liquids at extremely low concentrations. Conclusions: Australian e-liquids contain a wide variety of chemicals for which information on inhalation toxicity is not available. Further analyses are required to assess the potential long term effects of e-cigarette use on health.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27-32 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Medical Journal of Australia |
| Volume | 216 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 15 Sept 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Jan 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |