E-Liquids Testing
Elda Laboratory is competent according to HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 to carry out Testing of e-liquids for electronic cigarettes
Carbonyl compounds
The presence of aldehydes and ketones in mainstream cigarette smoke has been reported more than 40 years ago. There is interest in the level of carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke, considering formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde are biologically active agents. HPLC method is used for accurate identification and quantification of: acetaldehyde, diacetyl (2,3-butanedione), formaldehyde, acetyl propionyl (2,3-pentanedione), acetone and acrolein.
Nicotine content
E-liquids contain nicotine, an addictive and potentially dangerous stimulant, but often the actual nicotine content differs significantly from manufacturers’ labelling due to lack of regulation for these products.
This analysis was developed to directly test the amount of nicotine in e-liquids and in the aerosol which the consumer receives by vaping, using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Impurities and toxicants
Analysis of e-liquids revealed that they contained numerous compounds besides the vendor-listed propylene glycol, glycerin, and nicotine. The qualitative determination of impurities and toxicants in e-liquids and aerosols is done using straightforward gas chromatography with mass spectrometry screening method. Such impurities are: ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, caffeine, ethanol, methanol and 2-propanol.
Metal content
Transfer from an e-device to the e-liquid might be the source of this contamination. ELDA provides determination of trace concentration levels of metals in e-liquids and e-vapour aerosols according to international guidelines for the following metals: copper, aluminium, nickel, iron, chromium, lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and antimony.
Determination of e-liquid density
Together with flavoring agents and nicotine, e-liquids are mostly composed of vegetable glycerine (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). Determination of density is important quality indicator and is used in routine analyses of incoming raw materials in e-liquid production. It is also used in calculation of the nicotine concentration in final product from the %(m/m) value, using the measured density of the e-liquid at 20°C. Elda Laboratory provides Determination of density by Oscillation method acording to HRN EN ISO 2811-3:2012 (ISO 2811-3:2011; EN ISO 2811-3:2011)