Electromembrane extraction of nicotine in inhaled aerosols from tobacco cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated tobacco products

Heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are considered as alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes. However, it is crucial to monitor and compare the nicotine concentration in inhaled aerosols from these tobacco products, owing to the addictive nature and adverse effects of nicotine on human health. This study aimed to provide an electromembrane extraction (EME) combined liquid chromatography method to extract and deter-mine nicotine in different inhaled aerosols. EME showed high extraction efficiency, selectivity, and sample clean-up capability. Under the optimal parameters, the linear range for nicotine was 0.1-200 mg L-1 (r(2) > 0.9998), and the limit of detection was 0.02 mg L-1. Good precision was obtained with the intra-and inter-day relative standard deviations of 2.2 % and 2.8 %, respectively. Repeatability was satisfactory (< 7.7 %), and recoveries ranged from 81.0 % to 112.8 %. Finally, this method has been successfully used for the determination and comparison of nicotine in aerosols from these three tobacco products.

Automated summary

This study developed a method to determine the nicotine concentration in inhaled aerosols and successfully applied it for the comparison of heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. The method demonstrated high efficiency, selectivity, and sample clean-up capability, with good precision and repeatability.