Non-Targeted Chemical Characterization of JUUL-Menthol-Flavored Aerosols Using Liquid and Gas Chromatography

Abstract

The aerosol constituents generated from JUUL Menthol pods with 3.0% and 5.0% nicotine by weight (Me3 and Me5) are characterized by a non-targeted approach, which was developed to detect aerosol constituents that are not known to be present beforehand or that may be measured with targeted methods. Three replicates from three production batches (n = 9) were aerosolized using two puffing regimens (intense and non-intense). Each of the 18 samples were analyzed by gas chromatography electron ionization mass spectrometry and by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high-resolving power mass spectrometry. All chemical constituents determined to differ from control were identified and semi-quantified. To have a complete understanding of the aerosol constituents and chemistry, each chemical constituent was categorized into one of five groups: (1) flavorants, (2) harmful and potentially harmful constituents, (3) leachables, (4) reaction products, and (5) chemical constituents that were unable to be identified or rationalized (e.g., chemical constituents that could not be categorized in groups (1–4). Under intense puffing, 74 chemical constituents were identified in Me3 aerosols and 68 under non-intense puffing, with 53 chemical constituents common between both regimens. Eighty-three chemical constituents were identified in Me5 aerosol using an intense puffing regimen and seventy-five with a non-intense puffing regimen, with sixty-two chemical constituents in common. Excluding primary constituents, reaction products accounted for the greatest number of chemical constituents (approximately 60% in all cases, ranging from about 0.05% to 0.1% by mass), and flavorants—excluding menthol—comprised the second largest number of chemical constituents (approximately 25%, ranging consistently around 0.01% by mass). The chemical constituents detected in JUUL aerosols were then compared to known constituents from cigarette smoke to determine the relative chemical complexities and commonalities/differences between the two. This revealed (1) a substantial decrease in the chemical complexity of JUUL aerosols vs. cigarette smoke and (2) that there are between 55 (Me3) and 61 (Me5) unique chemical constituents in JUUL aerosols not reported in cigarette smoke. Understanding the chemical complexity of JUUL aerosols is important because the health effects of combustible cigarette smoke are related to the combined effect of these chemical constituents through multiple mechanisms, not just the effects of any single smoke constituent.