Episode 132 (Associate Professor Alexander Larcombe)

The ResearchWorks Podcast

“Chemical analysis of fresh and aged Australian e-cigarette liquids”
published in the Medical Journal of Australia
“Electronic cigarette usage patterns and perceptions in adult Australians”
published in Toxics in 2023.

Chemical analysis of fresh and aged Australian e-cigarette liquids

Alexander Larcombe, Sebastien Allard, Paul Pringle, Ryan Mead-Hunter, Natalie Anderson, Benjamin Mullins

Affiliations expand

• PMID: 34528266
• DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51280

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the chemical composition of electronic cigarette liquids (e-liquids) sold in Australia, in both their fresh and aged forms.

Design, setting: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of commercial e-liquids sold in Australia (online and physical stores).

Main outcome measures: Chemical composition of 65 Australian e-liquids - excipients/solvents, flavouring chemicals, other known e-liquid constituents (including nicotine), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - before and after an accelerated ageing process that simulated the effects of vaping.

Results: The measured levels of propylene glycol and glycerol often diverged from those recorded on the e-liquid label. All e-liquids contained one or more potentially harmful chemicals, including benzaldehyde, menthol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nicotine or nicotyrine were detected in a small proportion of e-liquids at extremely low concentrations.

Conclusions: Australian e-liquids contain a wide variety of chemicals for which information on inhalation toxicity is not available. Further analyses are required to assess the potential long term effects of e-cigarette use on health.

Electronic Cigarette Usage Patterns and PErceptions in Audult Australians

Abstract (abbreviated)

In this study, we screened 2217 adult Australians with the aim of assessing these questions in a sample of current or former e-cigarette users. A total of 505 out of 2217 respondents were current or former e-cigarette users, with only these respondents completing the full survey.
Key findings of this survey included the high proportion of respondents who indicated they were currently using e-cigarettes (307 out of 2217 = 13.8%), and the high proportion of current e-cigarette users that were also smokers (74.6%). The majority of respondents used e-liquids containing nicotine (70.3%), despite it being illegal in Australia without a prescription, and the majority bought their devices and liquids in Australia (65.7%).
A significant proportion of current e-cigarette users (30.6%) thought that e-cigarettes were completely safe to use long-term, although in general, there was a large amount of uncertainty/ambivalence with respect to perceptions of e-cigarette safety and efficacy as smoking cessation tools.
This study shows that e-cigarette use is common in Australia, and that appropriate dissemination of unbiased research findings on their safety and efficacy in smoking cessation is urgently required.