Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered vaporizers that simulate the feeling of smoking. They are often used by people who are trying to quit smoking; instead of smoke the user inhales an aerosol that is generated from a liquid contained in the electronic cigarette. For health and safety reasons, it is important to know the chemical composition of these aerosols.
Through mimicking the "vaping" process, Renato Zenobi, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, and colleagues have developed a method for the real-time analysis of electronic cigarette aerosols. The technique is based on the secondary electrospray ionization technique coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. The team successfully analyzed electronic cigarette aerosols and have found quantitative differences between the liquids and aerosols.
The researchers were able to detect more than 250 chemical substances in the aerosols using this method. In addition, they found that for certain compounds, there was a high correlation between their concentration in the aerosol and the operating power of the electronic cigarette. The method also allows proper quantification of several chemical components such as alkaloids and flavor compounds.
Article Views: 2357
Please note that to comment on an article you must be registered and logged in.
Registration is for free, you may already be registered to receive, e.g., the newsletter. When you register on this website, please ensure you view our terms and conditions. All comments are subject to moderation.