AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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An Exploration of the Factors Affecting E-Cigarette Particle Size Distributions
Jordan Berger, Phoebe Belser, Mark Daley, Timothy Raymond, James Baish, DABRINA DUTCHER, Bucknell University
Abstract Number: 590 Working Group: Electronic Cigarettes - Particle Generation
Abstract Electronic cigarettes are hand-held devices intended to allow users to engage is smoking behaviours while delivering nicotine and other flavored vapors. These are being promoted as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes(1). However, the electronic cigarettes devices are evolving quickly, from inexpensive, disposable, single coil cartridge-based devices to rebuildable drip-based atomizers with temperature and voltage controllers costing hundreds of dollars. While e-cigarette hardware choices have been changing rapidly, so too have the e-liquids. Recent trends in e-liquid composition have moved away from propylene glycol and towards higher glycerin contents. This impacts the surface tension and boiling point of the e-liquid. The recent decision to regulate these devices and liquids by the Food and Drug Administration(2) makes it even more essential that their function and impacts are fully understood.
The particle sizes produced by electronic cigarettes determine the most likely region of deposition in the user’s respiratory tract. This, in turn, affects the pharmacokinetics of the nicotine or other components of the vapor. In this study, the particle size distributions were determined for a series of different hardware configurations and e-liquid compositions and flavors. The distributions were measured with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and an Optical Particle Counter (OPC). Additionally, the effects of the particle concentrations of the air being drawn through the e-cigarette while it is activated were explored. This allowed the effects of heterogeneous vs homogeneous nucleation on the particle size distribution to be explored.
Among the observations that will be presented are the importance of including the mass of the e-liquid that is splattered during the transport and vaporization process in order to achieve mass balance and the significant effect of the hardware of the particle size distribution.
(1) McNeill A, Brose LS, Calder R, Hitchman SC, Hajek P, McRobbie H, E-cigarettes: an evidence update: A report commissioned by Public Health England, August 2015.
(2) http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm499234.htm accessed 5/6/2016.