Introduction: ECIGs are currently under scrutiny concerning their safety, particularly in reference to the impact ECIG liquids (E-liquids) have on human health. One concern is that aerosolized E-liquids contain trace metals that could become trapped in respiratory tissues and induce pathology.Methods: To mimic this trapping, peristaltic pumps were used to generate and transport aerosol onto mixed cellulose ester (MCE) membranes where aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were subsequently captured and quantified. The presence of trace metals on unexposed MCE membranes and on MCE membranes exposed to mainstream smoke served as control and comparison, respectively. The presence of these metals was also determined from the E-liquid before aerosolization and untouched by the ECIG device. All metals were quantified using ICP-MS. The ECIG core assembly was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with elemental analysis capability.Results: The contents (μg) of Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn on control MCE membranes were 1.2 ± 0.2, 0.050 ± 0.002, 0.047 ± 0.003, 0.05 ± 0.01, 0.001 ± 0.001, 0.16 ± 0.04, 0.005 ± 0.003, 0.014 ± 0.006, and 0.09 ± 0.02, respectively. The contents of all trace metals on MCE membranes exposed to aerosol were similar to controls, except Ni which was significantly (p < 0.01) higher (0.024 ± 0.004 μg). In contrast, contents of Al, As, Fe, Mn, and Zn on MCE membranes exposed to smoke were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than controls. The contents of Al, As, Cu, Fe, and Mn on smoke-exposed MCE membranes were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) than their content on aerosol-exposed membranes. The contents per cigarette equivalent of metals in E-liquid before aerosolization were negligible compared to amounts of aerosolized E-liquid, except for Fe (0.002 μg before and 0.001 μg after). Elemental analysis of the core assembly reveals the presence of several of these trace metals, especially Al, Fe, Ni, and Zn.Conclusions: In general, from the single ECIG-device/E-liquid combination used, the amount of trace metals from ECIG-generated aerosol are lower than in traditional mainstream smoke, Only Ni in the ECIG-generated aerosol was higher than control. The most probable source of Ni in this aerosol is the core assembly.

Background: While ECIGs are under scrutiny concerning safety, particularly in reference to the physiological impact that aerosolized ECIG liquid (E-liquid) may have on respiratory tissues, others believe that ECIGs are a “Harm Reduction” alternative to conventional cigarettes. Previous studies investigating ciliated respiratory epithelium indicate that smoking shortens cilia length, reduces cilia beat frequency and disrupts respiratory epithelium, which most likely contributes to the inhibition of mucocilliary clearance. Monitoring mucous clearance of respiratory tissues exposed to ECIG-generated aerosol or conventional cigarette smoke, as indexed by mucous transport velocity (MTV), is one way to gauge the impact aerosol and smoke have on the respiratory tract. Therefore, we designed an experiment to test the effect of ECIG-generated aerosol and smoke on MTV using the frog palate paradigm.Methods: Peristaltic pumps transport ECIG-generated aerosol and conventional cigarette smoke into custom-made chambers containing excised bullfrog palates. MTVs were determined before exposure, immediately after exposure and approximately 1 day following exposure. MTVs were also determined (at the same time points) for palates exposed to air (control). Surface and cross sectional SEM images of palates from all three groups were obtained to support MTV data.Results: The results indicate that ECIG-generated aerosol has a modest inhibitory effect (p < 0.05) on MTV 1 day post-exposure (0.09 ± 0.01) compared to control MTV (0.16 ± 0.03 mm/s). In contrast, smoke completely inhibits MTV from 0.14 ± 0.03 mm/s immediately before exposure to 0.00 mm/sec immediately after exposure and the MTV is unable to recover 1 day later. SEM images of control palates and palates exposed to ECIG-generated aerosol both show cilia throughout their epithelial surface, while some areas of palates exposed to smoke are completely devoid of cilia. Additionally, the epithelial thickness of aerosol-exposed palates appears thicker than control palates while smoke-exposed palates appear to be thinner due to epithelial disruption.Conclusions: These results indicate that ECIG-generated aerosol has only a modest effect on mucocilary clearance of bullfrog palates and aerosol sedimentation accounts for epithelial thickening. In accordance with the primary literature, conventional cigarette smoke dramatically inhibits mucociliary clearance and is, in part, due to decreased number of cilia and disruption of the smoke-exposed epithelium.

Electronic cigarettes are at the center of much controversy concerning their safety relative to conventional cigarettes. This study investigates the effect vaping electronic cigarettes, compared to smoking conventional cigarettes, has on the percentages of carbon (C), oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N) that makeup a nitrocellulose filter (13 mm diameter, 5µm pore size), and serves as a basic index of the relative impact vaping and smoking have on the respiratory tract. A peristaltic pump (400 ml/min) is used to impact air (n=4), vape (n=4) or smoke (n=4) onto nitrocellulose filters housed inside an in‐line chamber. These filters were exposed to air, vape or smoke during 45 cycles of a 5 second puff followed by a 10 second rest period. Virgin filters not exposed to air, vape or smoke served as control (n=4). The percentages of C, O and N for each exposed filter were determined using scanning electron microscopy with X‐ray microanalysis. The percentage of C in control filters and filters exposed to air, vape and smoke were 46.3 ± 0.3%, 46.6 ± 0.5%, 45.3 ± 0.2% and 73.5 ± 0.3%, respectively. The percentage of O in control filters and filters exposed to air, vape and smoke were 39.8 ± 0.3%, 39.7 ± 0.6%, 44.5 ± 0.3% and 15.9 ± 0.3%, respectively. The percentage of N in control filters and filters exposed to air, vape and smoke were 9.2 ± 0.2%, 9.2 ± 0.4%%, 9.1 ± 0.1% and 8.2 ± 0.3%, respectively. This study indicates that smoking, but not vaping, significantly (p < 0.001) increases the C to O ratio on the nitrocellulose filter, implying that smokers may be more at risk for development of inflammatory or other respiratory pathology.This work is supported by a Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine internal grant.