2024/12/11 by Carlos Leonny Raimundo Fragoso, Carlos L. R. Fragoso, Anna De Falco +6
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Chemistry · #Chemistry #Horticultural and Viticultural Research #Organic chemistry #Polyvinyl alcohol
paper · doi:10.21577/0103-5053.20240222
openalex publication_date 2024/12/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
This work evaluated the elemental content and toxicology of the primary materials of the e-liquids without adding nicotine and other additives. Elemental content was determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses, and biological effects were evaluated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and H9c2 cells. Elemental analysis did not detect toxic elements above the limit of quantification (LOQ). Toxic concentration with significant difference (p < 0.05) between the samples and the non-exposed cells for glycerin (7.5% m/v) and propylene glycol (12.5% m/v) and at 70/30 proportions (12.5% m/v), 50/50 (12.5% m/v), and 30/70 (6.25% m/v) were encountered. Yeast toxicity presented a concentration-dependent relation with growth inhibition and lethality. Cytotoxicity tests in mammalian cells presented significant differences (p < 0.05) at low concentrations of glycerin and propylene glycol exposition (1.25 and 0.25% m/v, respectively). High concentrations of glycerin and propylene glycol induced increased reactive oxygen species/lactate dehydrogenase, decreased catalase activity, and interference in cell viability. On acute exposure, pure glycerin and propylene glycol are toxic for yeast and H9c2 cells, increasing with proportions of glycerin/propylene glycol and the increased amount of propylene glycol in the solution. No correlation between elemental content and toxicity was observed.