Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 29521, USA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2010 Sep;12(9):905-12. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntq114. Epub 2010 Jul 19.
Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are marketed as tobacco-free nicotine delivery devices that have received little laboratory evaluation. In this study, the smoking properties of conventional and e-cigarettes were compared by examining the vacuum required to produce smoke (conventional cigarettes) or aerosol (e-cigarettes) and the density of the smoke/aerosol over time.
Vacuum was measured using a manometer coupled to a smoking machine. The density of aerosol or smoke was measured spectrophotometrically. E-cigarettes were subjected to smoke-out experiments in which vacuum and aerosol density were measured until each cartridge was exhausted.
The vacuum required to smoke conventional cigarettes varied among the eight brands tested. Lights and ultra-light brands required stronger vacuums to smoke than unfiltered and regular filtered brands. Except for one brand, higher vacuums were required to smoke e-cigarettes than conventional brands. Smoke/aerosol density was stable for conventional brands and for e-cigarettes over the first 10 puffs; however, aerosol density of e-cigarettes dropped during subsequent smoking, and higher vacuums were required to produce aerosol as the puff number increased. While conventional cigarettes were uniform in their smoking behavior within brands, vacuum and density varied within brands of e-cigarettes.
Generally, e-cigarettes required stronger vacuums (suction) to smoke than conventional brands, and the effects of this on human health could be adverse. The amount of aerosol produced by e-cigarettes decreased during smoking, which necessitated increasing puff strength to produce aerosol. The decreased efficiency of aerosol production during e-cigarette smoking makes dosing nonuniform over time and calls into question their usefulness as nicotine delivery devices.
电子烟作为一种无尼古丁的烟草传送装置，被推向市场，但很少有实验室对其进行评估。在这项研究中，通过检查产生烟雾（传统香烟）或气溶胶（电子烟）所需的真空度以及烟雾/气溶胶随时间的密度，比较了传统香烟和电子烟的吸烟特性。
使用与吸烟机相连的压力计测量真空度。通过分光光度法测量气溶胶或烟雾的密度。对电子烟进行吸烟实验，直到每个烟弹用尽，测量真空度和气溶胶密度。
在测试的八个品牌中，吸传统香烟所需的真空度各不相同。淡味和超淡味品牌需要更强的吸力来吸烟，而无过滤嘴和普通过滤嘴品牌则不需要。除了一个品牌外，吸电子烟所需的真空度都高于传统品牌。在最初的 10 口烟中，常规品牌和电子烟的烟雾/气溶胶密度保持稳定；然而，电子烟的气溶胶密度在随后的吸烟过程中下降，随着吸烟次数的增加，需要更高的真空度来产生气溶胶。虽然传统香烟在品牌内的吸烟行为是一致的，但电子烟品牌内的真空度和密度存在差异。
一般来说，电子烟需要更强的吸力（吸力）来吸烟，这对人类健康可能是不利的。电子烟产生的气溶胶量在吸烟过程中减少，这需要增加抽吸强度来产生气溶胶。电子烟吸烟时气溶胶生成效率降低，使得药物剂量在时间上不均匀，并对其作为尼古丁输送装置的有效性提出质疑。
