Introduction: Disposable e-cigarettes (DECs) have become the new global phenomenon within the tobacco industry, as they have gained significant popularity in recent years. With a large variation of flavours, shapes, and sizes, DECs have become widely used by the younger generation. As nicotine is a highly addictive substance, it is important to develop an analytical method which can allow for accurate quantification of e-liquids found within DECs, and to establish the presence of other substances, such as, flavourings, ingredients, other tobacco alkaloids, within the devices that could inflict short or long-term harm to the user.
Method: Five popular brands of DECs sold in the United Kingdom were selected. All samples had an advertised nicotine content of 20 mg/mL. A validated Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method was for the quantification of nicotine in the e-liquids samples. Further analysis of the e-liquid composition was investigated to determine the presence of chemicals beyond nicotine. Using the same quantification method, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for alkaloids, cotinine and myosmine were detected.
Results: The quantification method detected a nicotine concentration range of 13.52 mg/mL to 16.34 mg/mL. The deviation between the measured and labelled concentration ranged from -18.30% to -32.40%. Investigation into the e-liquid composition exposed that benzoic acid, nicotine and octodrine to be present in all five samples, followed by furaneol which was present in four. Cotinine had a LOD of 4 μg/mL, and LOQ of 2.54 μg/mL. Myosmine obtained a LOD of 1.67 μg/mL, and LOQ of 5.06 μg/mL.
Conclusion: All five e-liquid samples displayed a lower measured nicotine concentration compared to the labelled. Additional chemicals were detected that were also not declared on the packaging. Concluding that the packaging did not accurately reflect the true content, which could result in health implications to the users.
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