Assessing variability of aerosols generated from e-Cigarettes

Abstract

While some in vitro and in vivo experiments have studied the toxic effects of e-cigarette (e-cig) components, the typical aerosol properties released from e-cigarettes have not been well characterized. In the present study, we characterized the variability in mass concentration and particle size distribution associated with the aerosol generation of different devices and e-liquid compositions in an experimental setup. The findings of this study indicate a large inter-day variability in the experiments, likely due to poor quality control in some e-cig devices, pointing to the need for a better understanding of all the factors affecting exposures in in vitro and in vivo experiments, and the development of standardized protocols for generation and measurement of e-cig aerosols.

Keywords:

• Vaping; variability
• in vivo
• aerosols

Acknowledgement

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the MDHMH.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) NIEHS Award Numbers R01ES030025, R01ES030210-01 and T32ES007141 and by the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MDHMH) Cigarette Restitution Fund Program grant number PHPA-G2034.