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Walker-Franklin I, Onyenwoke RU, Leung T, Huang X, Shipman JG, Kovach A, Sivaraman V. GC/HRMS Analysis of E-Liquids Complements In Vivo Modeling Methods and can Help to Predict Toxicity. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:26641-26650. [PMID: 38911720 PMCID: PMC11191570 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c03416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for disease development, with the user inhaling various chemicals known to be toxic. However, many of these chemicals are absent before tobacco is "burned". Similar, detailed data have only more recently being reported for the e-cigarette with regards to chemicals present before and after the e-liquid is "vaped." Here, zebrafish were dosed with vaped e-liquids, while C57-BL/6J mice were vaped using nose-cone only administration. Preliminary assessments were made using e-liquids and GC/HRMS to identify chemical signatures that differ between unvaped/vaped and flavored/unflavored samples. Oxidative stress and inflammatory immune cell response assays were then performed using our in vivo models. Chemical signatures differed, e.g., between unvaped/vaped samples and also between unflavored/flavored e-liquids, with known chemical irritants upregulated in vaped and unvaped flavored e-liquids compared with unflavored e-liquids. However, when possible respiratory irritants were evaluated, these agents were predominantly present in only the vaped e-liquid. Both oxidative stress and inflammatory responses were induced by a menthol-flavored but not a tobacco-flavored e-liquid. Thus, chemical signatures differ between unvaped versus vaped e-liquid samples and also between unflavored versus flavored e-liquids. These flavors also likely play a significant role in the variability of e-liquid characteristics, e.g., pro-inflammatory and/or cytotoxic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rob U. Onyenwoke
- Department
of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States
- Biomanufacturing
Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States
| | - TinChung Leung
- Department
of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States
- The
Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina
Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, United States
| | - Xiaoyan Huang
- The
Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina
Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, United States
| | - Jeffrey G. Shipman
- Department
of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States
| | - Alex Kovach
- RTI
International, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina 27704, United States
| | - Vijay Sivaraman
- Department
of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States
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2
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Deng H, Tang S, Yang F, Chen D, Bian Z, Wang Y, Tang G, Lee HK. Recent advances in the analysis of electronic cigarette liquids and aerosols: Sample preparation and chromatographic characterization. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1712:464495. [PMID: 37952386 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) usage has risen dramatically worldwide in recent years. It has been publicized as a safer alternative to the conventional combustible cigarette. This, however, has not yet been supported by robust toxicological research evidence. Analysis of the chemical compositions of e-liquids and generated aerosols is an important step in evaluating the toxicity effects of e-cigarettes. Currently, a broad spectrum of analytical methods have been employed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical compositions of e-cigarette liquids and aerosols. The aim of this article is to review the advances in the chromatographic characterization of chemical composition of the latter in the recent five years. In addition, sample preparation methods for e-liquids and aerosols are surveyed and discussed. A study of the relevant literature indicates that, expectedly, gas chromatography and liquid chromatography with a variety of detection systems, particularly mass spectrometry, have been the main analytical techniques used in this field. Sample preparation procedures primarily include headspace sampling, dilute-and-shoot approach, liquid-liquid extraction and sorbent-based extraction for e-liquids and for aerosols (the latter usually with laboratory-built collection devices). Some challenges of current e-cigarette analytical research, and an overview on prospective work are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Deng
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, High and New Technology Industries Development Zone, No.6 Cuizhu Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Sheng Tang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212003, China
| | - Fei Yang
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, High and New Technology Industries Development Zone, No.6 Cuizhu Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Dan Chen
- Yunnan Institute of Tobacco Quality Inspection & Supervision, Kunming 650106, China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhaoyang Bian
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, High and New Technology Industries Development Zone, No.6 Cuizhu Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Ying Wang
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, High and New Technology Industries Development Zone, No.6 Cuizhu Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Gangling Tang
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, High and New Technology Industries Development Zone, No.6 Cuizhu Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Hian Kee Lee
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212003, China; Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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3
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Dziura M, Castillo SR, DiPasquale M, Gbadamosi O, Zolnierczuk P, Nagao M, Kelley EG, Marquardt D. Investigating the Effect of Medium Chain Triglycerides on the Elasticity of Pulmonary Surfactant. Chem Res Toxicol 2023; 36:643-652. [PMID: 36926887 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, vaping has increased in both popularity and ease of access. This has led to an outbreak of a relatively new condition known as e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). This injury can be caused by physical interactions between the pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the lungs and toxins typically found in vaping solutions, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT has been largely used as a carrier agent within many cannabis products commercially available on the market. Pulmonary surfactant ensures proper respiration by maintaining low surface tensions and interface stability throughout each respiratory cycle. Therefore, any impediments to this system that negatively affect the efficacy of this function will have a strong hindrance on the individual's quality of life. Herein, neutron spin echo (NSE) and Langmuir trough rheology were used to probe the effects of MCT on the mechanical properties of pulmonary surfactant. Alongside a porcine surfactant extract, two lipid-only mimics of progressing complexity were used to study MCT effects in a range of systems that are representative of endogenous surfactant. MCT was shown to have a greater biophysical effect on bilayer systems compared to monolayers, which may align with biological data to propose a mechanism of surfactant inhibition by MCT oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksymilian Dziura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Stuart R Castillo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Mitchell DiPasquale
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Omotayo Gbadamosi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Piotr Zolnierczuk
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Michihiro Nagao
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Elizabeth G Kelley
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Drew Marquardt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.,Department of Physics, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
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4
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LoParco CR, Rossheim ME, Walters ST, Zhou Z, Olsson S, Sussman SY. Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol: a scoping review and commentary. Addiction 2023; 118:1011-1028. [PMID: 36710464 DOI: 10.1111/add.16142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive substance from the Cannabis plant that has been rising in popularity in the United States since the 2018 US Farm Bill implicitly legalized it. This study reviewed research from peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed (e.g. anecdotal and news) reports related to delta-8 THC to summarize current knowledge and implications for public health and safety. METHODS A scoping review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Google as search engines, leading to the identification of 103 documents that were summarized. The themes that emerged were (1) legality, (2) use (popularity, motives, psychoactivity/potency, benefits/consequences), (3) synthesis (byproducts, laboratory testing) and (4) retail (availability, price, packaging, youth-oriented marketing). A second author independently coded 20% of the documents, which verified the categorization of articles by these emergent themes. RESULTS Most research used animal/cell models or focused upon ways to identify the chemical structure of delta-8 THC in various products. Findings suggest that people often use delta-8 THC as a substitute for other substances. Anecdotally, delta-8 THC is a less potent psychoactive than delta-9 THC; however, several negative consequences have been reported. There is no federal age restriction for purchase/possession of delta-8 THC products. Delta-8 THC is readily accessible on-line, is typically less expensive than delta-9 THC and is often marketed in ways that would seemingly appeal to children. There are no regulations on synthesis, resulting in products being contaminated and/or yielding inconsistent effects. There have been thousands of calls to US poison control centers due to accidental delta-8 THC exposure among minors. CONCLUSIONS Most research on delta-8 THC is largely anecdotal, not peer-reviewed and does not involve human subjects. Future research should examine delta-8 THC use using nationally representative samples to more clearly understand the prevalence and consequences of use. Laws are needed to mitigate the risks of using delta-8 THC, particularly quality control of synthesis and minimum purchase age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy R LoParco
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Matthew E Rossheim
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Scott T Walters
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Zhengyang Zhou
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Sofia Olsson
- School of Medicine, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Steve Y Sussman
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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5
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Soto B, Costanzo L, Puskoor A, Akkari N, Geraghty P. The implications of Vitamin E acetate in E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury. Ann Thorac Med 2023; 18:1-9. [PMID: 36968330 PMCID: PMC10034821 DOI: 10.4103/atm.atm_144_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In the summer of 2019, a cluster of cases were observed with users of battery-operated or superheating devices presenting with multiple symptoms, such as dyspnea, cough, fever, constitutional symptoms, gastrointestinal upset, and hemoptysis, that is now termed e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2807 cases within the USA leading to at least 68 deaths as of February 18, 2020. The heterogeneous presentations of EVALI make diagnosis and treatment difficult; however, treatment focused on identifying and removal of the noxious substance and providing supportive care. Vitamin E acetate (VEA) is a likely cause of this lung injury, and others have reported other components to play a possible role, such as nicotine and vegetable glycerin/propylene glycol. EVALI is usually observed in adolescents, with a history of vaping product usage within 90 days typically containing tetrahydrocannabinol, and presenting on chest radiograph with pulmonary infiltrates or computed tomography scan with ground-glass opacities. Diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion to diagnose and exclusion of other possible causes of lung disease. Here, we review the current literature to detail the major factors contributing to EVALI and primarily discuss the potential role of VEA in EVALI. We will also briefly discuss other constituents other than just VEA, as a small number of EVALI cases are reported without the detection of VEA, but with the same clinical diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Soto
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, NY, USA
| | - Louis Costanzo
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, NY, USA
| | - Anoop Puskoor
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, NY, USA
| | - Nada Akkari
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, NY, USA
| | - Patrick Geraghty
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, NY, USA
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6
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Vreeke S, Faulkner DM, Strongin RM, Rufer E. A First-Tier Framework for Assessing Toxicological Risk from Vaporized Cannabis Concentrates. TOXICS 2022; 10:771. [PMID: 36548603 PMCID: PMC9782653 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10120771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Vaporization is an increasingly prevalent means to consume cannabis, but there is little guidance for manufacturers or regulators to evaluate additive safety. This paper presents a first-tier framework for regulators and cannabis manufacturers without significant toxicological expertise to conduct risk assessments and prioritize additives in cannabis concentrates for acceptance, elimination, or further evaluation. Cannabinoids and contaminants (e.g., solvents, pesticides, etc.) are excluded from this framework because of the complexity involved in their assessment; theirs would not be a first-tier toxicological assessment. Further, several U.S. state regulators have provided guidance for major cannabinoids and contaminants. Toxicological risk assessment of cannabis concentrate additives, like other types of risk assessment, includes hazard assessment, dose-response, exposure assessment, and risk characterization steps. Scarce consumption data has made exposure assessment of cannabis concentrates difficult and variable. Previously unpublished consumption data collected from over 54,000 smart vaporization devices show that 50th and 95th percentile users consume 5 and 57 mg per day on average, respectively. Based on these and published data, we propose assuming 100 mg per day cannabis concentrate consumption for first-tier risk assessment purposes. Herein, we provide regulators, cannabis manufacturers, and consumers a preliminary methodology to evaluate the health risks of cannabis concentrate additives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert M. Strongin
- Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA
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7
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Yogeswaran S, Shaikh SB, Manevski M, Chand HS, Rahman I. The role of synthetic coolants, WS-3 and WS-23, in modulating E-cigarette-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung epithelial cells. Toxicol Rep 2022; 9:1700-1709. [PMID: 36518479 PMCID: PMC9742959 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a substantial rise in e-cigarette (e-cig) use or vaping in the past decade, prompting growing concerns about their adverse health effects. Recently, e-cig manufacturers have been using synthetic cooling agents, like WS-23 and WS-3, to provide a cooling sensation without the "menthol taste". Studies have shown that aerosols/vapes generated by e-cigs can contain significant levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, studies investigating the role of synthetic coolants in modulating ROS levels generated by e-cigs are lacking. This study seeks to understand how synthetic coolants, e-cig additives that have become increasingly prevalent in e-liquids sold in the United States (US), impact acellular ROS production from e-liquid aerosols as well as cellular ROS levels from pulmonary epithelial cells exposed to these e-liquids. To further explain, our study aims to understand whether the addition of WS-3 and WS-23 to e-liquid base and e-liquid base with nicotine significantly modifies generated acellular ROS levels within aerosolized e-liquids, as well as cellular ROS within BEAS-2B cells treated with these same e-liquids. Aerosols were generated from e-liquids with and without synthetic coolants through a single-puff aerosol generator; subsequently, acellular ROS was semi-quantified in H2O2 equivalents via fluorescence spectroscopy. Our acellular ROS data suggest that adding WS-3 to e-liquid base (PG:VG), regardless of nicotine content, has a minimal impact on modifying e-cig generated acellular ROS levels. Additionally, we also measured cellular ROS in lung epithelial cells using both e-liquids containing and not containing synthetic coolants via the CellROX Green fluorescent sensor. Similar comparable results were found in BEAS2B cells though ROS was increased by WS-3 and WS-23 treated in e-cig nicotine groups. Altogether, our data suggest that neither the addition of WS-23 nor WS-3 to e-liquid base solution, with and without nicotine, significantly modifies e-cig generated acellular ROS levels within aerosolized e-liquids and cellular ROS levels within treated BEAS-2B cells. Together, our data provide insight into whether synthetic coolants added to e-liquids could impact vaping-induced oxidative stress in the lungs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaiesh Yogeswaran
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 850, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Sadiya Bi. Shaikh
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 850, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Marko Manevski
- Department of Immunology and Nano-Medicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Hitendra S. Chand
- Department of Immunology and Nano-Medicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Irfan Rahman
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 850, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Marrocco A, Singh D, Christiani DC, Demokritou P. E-cigarette vaping associated acute lung injury (EVALI): state of science and future research needs. Crit Rev Toxicol 2022; 52:188-220. [PMID: 35822508 PMCID: PMC9716650 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2022.2082918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
"E-Cigarette (e-cig) Vaping-Associated Acute Lung Injury" (EVALI) has been linked to vitamin-E-acetate (VEA) and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), due to their presence in patients' e-cigs and biological samples. Lacking standardized methodologies for patients' data collection and comprehensive physicochemical/toxicological studies using real-world-vapor exposures, very little data are available, thus the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of EVALI is still unknown. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical appraisal of existing literature on clinical/epidemiological features and physicochemical-toxicological characterization of vaping emissions associated with EVALI. The literature review of 161 medical case reports revealed that the predominant demographic pattern was healthy white male, adolescent, or young adult, vaping illicit/informal THC-containing e-cigs. The main histopathologic pattern consisted of diffuse alveolar damage with bilateral ground-glass-opacities at chest radiograph/CT, and increased number of macrophages or neutrophils and foamy-macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage. The chemical analysis of THC/VEA e-cig vapors showed a chemical difference between THC/VEA and the single THC or VEA. The chemical characterization of vapors from counterfeit THC-based e-cigs or in-house-prepared e-liquids using either cannabidiol (CBD), VEA, or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), identified many toxicants, such as carbonyls, volatile organic compounds, terpenes, silicon compounds, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides and various industrial/manufacturing/automotive-related chemicals. There is very scarce published toxicological data on emissions from THC/VEA e-liquids. However, CBD, MCT, and VEA emissions exert varying degrees of cytotoxicity, inflammation, and lung damage, depending on puffing topography and cell line. Major knowledge gaps were identified, including the need for more systematic-standardized epidemiological surveys, comprehensive physicochemical characterization of real-world e-cig emissions, and mechanistic studies linking emission properties to specific toxicological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Marrocco
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dilpreet Singh
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David C. Christiani
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Philip Demokritou
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Environmental Occupational Health Sciences Institute, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, 170 Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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9
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Mikheev VB, Ivanov A. Analysis of the Aerosol Generated from Tetrahydrocannabinol, Vitamin E Acetate, and Their Mixtures. TOXICS 2022; 10:88. [PMID: 35202274 PMCID: PMC8878975 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) outbreak was linked to vitamin E acetate (VEA) used as a solvent for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Several studies were conducted to assess the products of VEA (and THC/VEA mixtures) thermal degradation as a result of vaporizing/aerosolizing from a traditional type (coil-cotton wick) and ceramic type coil vape pens. The particle size distribution (PSD) of VEA aerosol and the temperature VEA and THC/VEA mixtures are heated to were also measured for a few types of traditional and ceramic vape pens. The current study assessed the PSD of the aerosol generated from THC, VEA, and a number of THC/VEA mixtures using a dab-type vape pen under two different temperature settings and two puffing flow rates. Thermal degradation of THC, VEA, and THC/VEA mixtures were also assessed, and coil temperature was measured. Results showed the dependence of the PSD upon the chemical content of the aerosolized mixture as well as upon the puffing flow rate. Minimal thermal degradation was observed. Flaws in the vape pen's design, which most likely affected results, were detected. The suitability of VEA, THC, and THC/VEA mixtures with certain types of vape pens was discussed.
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