Passive exposure to e-cigarette emissions: Sensory irritation, timing and association with VOCs

• Main Author: Stephanie Teloniatis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Publishing 2019-03-01
• Series: Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Subjects: e-cigarette emissions
• Online Access: http://www.journalssystem.com/tpc/,105411,0,2.html

In the frame of the TackSHS Project, we examined irritation symptoms reported by the participants passively exposed to e-cigarette emissions during 30 minutes, their timing and their association with the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced. 40 young healthy non-smokers were exposed to e-cigarette emissions produced by a human smoker using a standardized topography and two resistance settings (exposure 0.5 Ohm and 1.5 Ohm) in a 35m 3 room for 30 minutes, in addition to a control exposure session with no emissions. PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 were continuously measured over the duration of exposure, while VOCs were recorded at 0, 15 and 30 minutes (t 0 , t 15 and t 30 ). Each participant completed an irritation questionnaire at t 0 , t 15 , t 30 and t 60 (30 minutes post-exposure). The questionnaire included questions on ocular, nasal, throat and respiratory irritation symptoms and on general complaints. Within this study, we found that a 30 minute exposure to emissions of e-cigarettes increased concentrations of PMs and VOC’s and provoked sensory irritation symptoms and general complaints that were positively associated with the concentrations of the VOC mixture emitted.