VCU TCORS: Analytical Lab Methods for MRTP Evaluation

Principal Investigator: Alan Shihadeh

Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health- TCORS Grant

ID number: 1P50DA036105-01

Award Date: 9/30/2013

Institution: American University of Beirut

Understanding yields of toxicants in combustible tobacco products generally requires chemical analysis of product emissions. Emissions analysis historically relied on smoking machines; however, few models have been developed for evaluating the health risks associated with novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes. This project will examine factors (e.g., design features, topography, and unorthodox use behaviors) that influence e-cigarette nicotine and toxicant yield utilizing a “playback” puffing machine method that mimics human puffing behavior. Specific aims are: (1) to develop a heat and mass transfer model to predict e-cigarette nicotine yields as a function of product design and puff parameters; (2) to use a validated playback puffing machine to generate e-cigarette emissions using puffing behavior recorded from e-cigarette users (collected as part of Project 2, below); and (3) to study how unorthodox use behaviors and product manipulation influence nicotine and other toxicant yields of e-cigarettes and other novel products. This project has the potential to inform the regulation of novel tobacco products by developing a model for measuring toxicant yields under real-life use conditions.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

VCU TCORS: Analytical Lab Methods for MRTP Evaluation

VCU Center for the Study of Tobacco Products (TCORS) Related Resources