Source of nicotine for e-liquid

[Katya]

Any one know where or how they process the nicotine for e-liquids. I figure they don't make it synthetically, because I know they extract it for insecticides and there is a ready source of it in tobacco. Probably form N. Rustica, because that strain is super high in nicotine content, and, because it is used for poor peoples ciggs in many countries, it's dirt cheap.

My concern is really not the nicotine, but what may come with it in the process. The Mosaic Virus is very common in tobacco, especially cheap stuff, and it is very hardy; some people even believe it can be transferred from infected tobacco to a live plant through smoke!

I grow Tomato plants, heirloom, commercially, and they are members of the same family as tobacco, the Nightshade Family, thus they can contract the Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
Any insights into this.
I know is a little esoteric, but not to me. To me it's a very real concern.


(posted by me on behalf of a new member, Paul)

 

[nesf]

PG is viricidal (or at least I've seen scientific references showing said effect), it could kill off the Mosaic virus. Not 100% sure though and I doubt anyone has checked what effect PG has on said virus.

 

[wolflrv]

You might want to email Levi over at Xtremevaping.com. He sources and sells some of the best nic juice available and he's also very knowledgeable. I think the key to what most folks use in ejuice is that it should be USP food grade...vs gardening/pesticide grade stuff.

 

[kinabaloo]

Have a look at the pretty good Wikipedia article: Tobacco mosaic virus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Less of a problem than the hype would suggest perhaps.

 

[davielawson]

Different suppliers will source nicotine from different sources.

The manufacture of the nicotine itself I am not 100% sure on, however in cigarette manufacture the tobacco leaf, stem etc are all soaked in water to soften them for reshaping. The Nicotine leaches out of the plant at this stage and into the water. Dehydration of this mixture would bring about purer nicotine.

That said, however, the % of water in Ph Eur nicotine is <1% and so it is possible that another process of solvent extraction is used.