What are the MAJOR components in exhaled vapor?

[TomCatt]

Over the past two years of vaping I've seen numerous posts here and claims made on vendor business cards that what is exhaled with an e-cig is mainly water vapor. Some claims have stated that it is "nearly 100% water vapor". I've seen the research on the minor constituents of vapor; but what are the MAJOR components of the the exhaled visible vapor? It has got to be the PG/VG, if it was just water why do fog machines use PG/VG? Wouldn't it be a lot cheaper to fill the fog machine up at the tap instead of buying 'fog juice'?




Here are the components of exhaled vapor (1,2,3-propanetriol is VG). The more area under a peak means that there is more of that component in the sample. This is a GC (gas chromatograph) analysis, so any water probably didn't show up. PG/VG ARE the main components of this exhaled e-cig vapor. Report

Does anyone have any additional analytical reports of exhaled vapor?

Sorry, but this has become my main 'vaping pet peeve' since I've started using the Kanger BCCs with my 1.5yr all-day-vape juice

 

[Butters78]

Last study I saw stated rainbows and lavender.

 

[jfango]

and don't forget the unicorns...that poop skittles.....

 

[Talyon]

There was a study done and is in ECF somewhere if u can find it, where the machine that was used looked for 26-28 specific chemicals in Vape vs smoke and only 4 of the components were measurable, in our Vape. PG,VG,Nic and I forget the other, I've a pic of the study results but I'm not at my PC to try and post a pic here, from my iPad.

It was conducted by the Korea electronic cigarette something like that I'll search and see if I can get the link up,from the thread.


Vapor test results
Just saw this test = Vapor Test Results by Korea Electronic Cigarette Association Comments ?

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/395554-vapor-test-results.html



Hope that link works.

 

[TJ2Q]

I read the report. I really did. The only thing I truly got from it though is that I am so glad I no longer smoke. I already assumed that vaping indoors added additional contaminants to the air but I do love a good analysis read so I dove in anyway.

Thanks TC! I would be interested if there are any more studies out there like this so if you come across them please post.

 

[sonicdsl]

I know there's a few studies so far. The ones I can think of are the ClearStream Air and IVAQS studies.

 

[Butters78]

and don't forget the unicorns...that poop skittles.....

That's right.

Oh I found one of the studies.


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[VitalSparks]

Here is Link to ClearStream report

 

[CES]

Nice Catt- thanks!

So, the exhale is mostly PG and VG, with just a little bit of nicotine, and a couple of other traces. What are the units on the Y-axis? Just out of curiosity, do the relative amounts of PG and VG in the vapor correspond to the percentages in the liquid?

 

[CES]

never mind- i actually read a little more closely

Although 1,2-propanediol was detected in traces only in the 8-m³ chamber during the consumption of e-cigarettes, this compound must be released owing to the visible fume in the exhaled breath. To determine the VOC composition in the breath gas directly, an e-cigarette smoker exhaled into a 10-l glass chamber. The identified chemical species are shown in Figure 3. The experiment revealed a high amount of 1,2-propanediol in the exhaled air. Other main components were the carrier substance 1,2,3-propanetriol, the flavoring source diacetin as well as traces of apple oil (3-methylbutyl-3-methylbutanoate) and nicotine. The fact that these compounds were not detectable during the 8-m³ emission test chamber measurement is assumed to be caused by the short usage (6 min per ‘liquid’) and sink effects of the chamber for the very polar 1,2-propanediol.

so, if I'm reading this right, PG, VG, flavoring and nicotine were detectable only when the person exhaled directly into a small volume collecting chamber, but not into a larger one- doesn't this suggest that that the exhaled components have a very small chance of affecting bystanders?

(BTW, the conclusion was really, really weak)

 

[cmknight]

I find the Siloxane spike interesting. Would that be as a result of using a silicone wick?

 

[TomCatt]

I find the Siloxane spike interesting. Would that be as a result of using a silicone wick?

I found that interesting also; but wicks are made from silica which is very different from silicone. The various "rubber" seals found in atties/cartos/clearos are usually made of silicone. I guess it could be possible to have siloxanes show up if a seal was touching a hot coil; but there is also this:

Found this for siloxane peaks in GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry):
Link

If the peaks do increase with the longer isothermal time and/or with a HOT injection port there is a contamination
in the injection port, carrier gas, Purge&Trap, Headspace Sampler etc.
- If peak spectra indicate Siloxanes --> check for septum particles in the inlet liner
- If the Siloxane or other peaks only show up with a solvent injection and the peak area is constant
check for septum particles in the vial or repeat solvent injection with a fresh solvent in a vial without
septum.

 

[TomCatt]

Nice Catt- thanks!

So, the exhale is mostly PG and VG, with just a little bit of nicotine, and a couple of other traces. What are the units on the Y-axis? Just out of curiosity, do the relative amounts of PG and VG in the vapor correspond to the percentages in the liquid?

Hmmm, finally a scientific question I can answer with some confidence

This is a GC/MS chromatograph, GC/MS Y-axis "Abundance" is an 'arbitrary' value resulting from an EM detector (electron multiplier). The more ions of a compound present results in a higer 'abundance'. In order to quantitate using GC/MS a known amount of a standard compound must be analyzed using the same methods. My preferred technique was "external standards" - a known amount of the compound of interest (i.e. PG) analyzed separately from the sample. This gives a response/amount that is used to calculate the amount of compound in the sample.
With the 'peak shape' for PG and VG in the above chromatogram, I can safely say that the equipment used to analyze these samples was not optimized for PG or VG; very broad peaks are not good for quantitation.


ETA:
I guess since this analysis used "Internal Standards" - a quick explanation may be in order. Internal standards are 'similar' to the compound of interest. This relies on the assumption that the internal standard will give the same (or very close to the same) response that the compound of interest gives. But it also has to be resolved (separated) from the compound of interest on the chromatogram.
This is why, if you know what you are analyzing for, IMO, external standard quantitation is more scientifically valid. Although both techniques are, and have been for many years, valid.

 

[TomCatt]

(man, for many years I had access to GC/MS, LC/MS and other analytical instrumentation; then in 2007 I thought 'why not move to another department and try something different' . I haven't done any real analytical work since then and now would be a perfect time for a little 'personal experimentation' ::sigh:: )

 

[TomCatt]

Gas Chromatographic analysis of water in organic samples (organic does not refer to anything like "organically grown foods"; this organic is completely different ).

Water Determination by Gas Chromatography. - Analytical Chemistry (ACS Publications) (1964)
Determination of the water content in organic compounds by gas chromatography using back flush technique - Springer (1990)

With specific techniques and equipment, it would be possible to detect and quantitate water in exhaled vapor using GC. I'm sure there are other analytical techniques that would be more straightforward; but none that I have used or am familiar with.

Anyone else familiar with chemical analysis have any techniques that could possibly be easily used in future studies?

 

[Mac]

It seems you answered your own question in the very first post. I can tell you with certainty that if it was water and not glycol these products would be extremely dangerous as water is not a humectant and promotes microbial growth. It would be a far more efficient way to kill yourself then smoking if water was used instead of pg or vg.

On an added note, I have noticed over the years that the more reliable vendors I have dealt with have little to no marketing literature at all. Something to consider, if my opinion is of any value.

I have read arguments posted on this very forum in similar threads that glycol vapor is still mostly water. But as I recall there were some mental gymnastics involving what words actually mean for the poster to arrive to that conclusion. So I will not go searching for it.

 

[CES]

Thanks for the clarification about the Y-axis Catt. It's always helpful to know the units when trying to evaluate data.

I'd wondered about the broad peaks for PG and VG, but just figured that you'd integrate area under the curve for the total amounts. Didn't realize that the broad peaks were also a clue that the settings might not have been quite right. (I've never done gas chromatography, and it's been about a decade since I've done any HPLC)

 

[TomCatt]

Thanks for the clarification about the Y-axis Catt. It's always helpful to know the units when trying to evaluate data.

I'd wondered about the broad peaks for PG and VG, but just figured that you'd integrate area under the curve for the total amounts. Didn't realize that the broad peaks were also a clue that the settings might not have been quite right. (I've never done gas chromatography, and it's been about a decade since I've done any HPLC)

I don't think it was a matter of settings not being right; but a compromise on GC column selection that let them analyze all components of interest in a single analysis. A 'better' method would have been to optimize the analysis for everything but PG and VG; analyze. Then find another method (GC column) that would optimize the PG and VG analysis, and run a second analysis of the sample. More costly though.


(back in the day - I hear - they used to print out a chromatogram, cut out the peaks and weigh them for quantitation. )

 

[cmknight]

Thanks TomCatt. So, the Siloxane reading basically is a result of contamination, right?

 

[TomCatt]

Thanks TomCatt. So, the Siloxane reading basically is a result of contamination, right?

There's a fair chance it is; but I couldn't say with certainty either way.