The JUUL pod was used in the laboratory to analyze the heated vapors prior to the current tests. In addition, four products purchased new online between 2016–19 were analyzed for comparison purposes: two empty THC vaping products (CCell TH2 Oil Cartridge and Linx Hermes atomizer) and two nicotine devices (a filled JUUL pod and an eGo-CE6 coil head). The liquids from these four cartridges were previously extracted for separate analyses. Two other unused, filled cartridges were obtained as part of routine cannabis product testing and surveillance investigations in 2018 (no identifiable product markings, designated “unknown #1” and “unknown #2”). These products were designated “CCell #1” and “TKO” based on the etchings on their respective battery contact end caps, but additional information about their models or authenticity is unknown. Two of the tested THC cartridges were used by EVALI patients and were obtained as part of California’s EVALI response in 2019. Six THC vape cartridges and two nicotine e-cigarette devices were characterized ( Table 1). To do this, we have disassembled forty-eight components from eight used and unused THC and nicotine vaping devices under a microscope and analyzed them using portable XRF, SEM-EDS, and limited FTIR micro-spectroscopy. In this paper, we determined the composition and internal components of EVALI patient-associated THC vaping devices compared to other THC and nicotine devices from 2016–19, specifically the metal, ceramic, and polymer components likely to be exposed to heat. Alternatively, portable/handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) units can obtain heavy metal concentrations from device surfaces more rapidly and with little sample preparation, though they do not provide detailed surface imaging. ![]() Williams et al used SEM-EDS to characterize nicotine device components. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) micro-spectroscopy are two methods previously used to infer potential environmental pathways from microscale elemental chemistry and morphology of consumer products. To our knowledge, little comparable information exists in the peer reviewed literature for THC vaping devices. Ī variety of nicotine E-cigarette cartridges and pods have been characterized by determining their design components, testing their heating coil temperature profiles, and measuring metal content of their e-liquids and airborne emissions. Because chemical reactions can be catalyzed on the surfaces of ceramics or metals such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), any ceramics or metals present inside the vaping devices could further enhance these reactions. Acute lung injury has been reported in EVALI lung biopsies and autopsies, and it has been hypothesized that VEA may have chemically reacted to create toxic ketene (ethenone) in the presence of high temperatures. Vitamin E acetate (VEA) inside tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vaping devices was identified as the most likely indicator of injury. An outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) in 2019–20 resulted in hospital admissions and deaths. Identifying the functional materials inside vaping devices can help inform efforts to understand risk. Future work should test more device types and internal temperatures under controlled usage conditions. This study was limited to a small sample of cartridges obtained from investigations. These findings do not imply that harmful exposures would occur under all usage conditions, and are most relevant to harm reduction efforts based on avoiding higher internal temperatures. ![]() These components have the potential to thermally degrade and volatilize if heated sufficiently. Nickel and chromium components were detected in all devices, and others contained copper, lead, tin, gold, silicon-rich rubbers, or fluorinated microplastics. The combination of ceramics, metals, and high temperatures in newer THC cartridges is consistent with conditions hypothesized to produce VEA reactions during vaping. The newer THC cartridges possessed more ceramic and polymer insulation than older THC or nicotine devices. The two THC cartridges used by EVALI patients exhibited evidence of localized high temperatures, including charring of the ceramic heating elements and damaged wire surfaces.
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