Evaluation of the toxicity and data gaps of e-cigarette aerosol

The electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device for inhaling vaporized liquid that is mostly consumed by smokers and has emerged in recent years as a supposedly less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes. As no combustion is associated with the "smoking" of an e-cigarette it is often tolerated in confined areas. A harmonized regulation does not exist currently. At the moment e-cigarettes and refills are covered by the EU Directive 2014/40 / EU if it is not declared as a medical product. The increase in the consumption of e-cigarettes in recent years suggests that consumption of e-cigarettes has already attained a general social significance. In commercial products excipients typical used are propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin that classification relates exclusively are classified as GRAS (GeneRally Assumed to be Safe). However, to oral this ingestion. In addition to the uncertainty of possible long-term effects of excipients due to inhalation exposure, uncertainties arise regarding the uniformity of nicotine release, and on the exact chemical composition of the aerosol phase compared to the original liquid. It is intended that the EU Commission reports potential risks from the use of refillable electronic cigarettes until May 20, 2016. In this point uniform quality standards and test methods are required. The aim of this presentation is to address data gaps for the toxicological evaluation of e-cigarettes to identify further study requirements, and the need for standardization of product testing and assessment.