Chemical characterisation of aerosols emitted by electronic cigarettes using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry

A non-targeted analytical method, using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry, to detect, identify and semi-quantify volatile and semi-volatile organic constituents of e-cigarette aerosols is presented. A heart-cutting process with a Deans Switch has been applied to avoid saturation of the mass analyser by high-abundance bulk components. Between 30 and 90 compounds were detected in four aerosol samples generated by e-cigarettes, depending on the added flavourings. The method analyses in a single 80 mL, 3-second puff, GC-amenable compounds with volatilities ranging between those of propane (C3) and octacosane (C28) and abundance greater than approximately 5 ng. Method sensitivity is suitable for the application of thresholds of toxicological concern for product assessment at an exposure threshold of 1.5 μg per day. The method is compatible with the high-throughput screening of GC-amenable compounds in e-cigarette aerosols.