EVALI Vaping Liquids Part 2: Mass Spectrometric Identification of Diluents and Additives

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Forensic Toxicology
• Materials Science

Background:

• The 2019 United States outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) was strongly linked to the vaping liquid additive vitamin E acetate (VEA).
• Laboratories received over 1,000 vaping liquid products, including hundreds from EVALI patients, for additive identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify numerous vaping liquid additives in a large subset of approximately 300 cannabis vaping liquids.
• To present results from GC-MS and LC-HRMS analyses for additive identification.
• To highlight the variety of additives currently used in cannabis vaping liquids.

Main Methods:

• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for identifying parent compounds and trimethylsilyl derivatives of additives.
• Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was employed for confirmation of specific additives.
• Analyses utilized specific chromatographic columns (5% phenyl, 35% silphenylene) and LC phases (C18, phenyl-hexyl).

Main Results:

• Identification of numerous vaping liquid additives in ca. 300 cannabis vaping liquids.
• Detected additives include vitamin E acetate (VEA), medium chain triglycerides oil (MCT oil), polyethylene glycols, squalane, triethyl citrate, dipropylene glycol dibenzoate (DPG dibenzoate), pine rosin acids, pine rosin methyl esters, and sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB).
• Confirmation of DPG dibenzoate and SAIB using LC-HRMS.

Conclusions:

• The study provides rapid methods for identifying vaping liquid additives.
• A wide variety of additives are currently in use in cannabis vaping liquids.
• Understanding additive composition is crucial for public health and regulatory efforts related to vaping products.