Skin contamination as pathway for nicotine intoxication in vapers

Growing warnings on health effects related to electronic cigarettes have met inconclusive findings at present. This study analyzed the in vitro percutaneous absorption of nicotine resulting by skin contamination with two e-liquids (refill 1 and 2) containing nicotine at 1.8%. Donor chambers of 6 Franz cells for each refill liquid were filled with 1 mL of nicotine e-liquid for 24 hours; at selected intervals, 1.5 mL of the receptor solutions were collected for nicotine concentration analysis by mean gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LOD: 0.01 μg/ml). The experiment was repeated removing the nicotine donor solution after 10 minutes from the application and rinsing the skin surface three times with 3.0 ml of milliQ water. A total of 12 cells with 24 hours exposure and 12 cells washed were studied. The mean concentration of nicotine in the receiving phase at the end of the experiment was 54.9±29.5 and 30.2 ± 18.4 μg/cm2 for refill 1 and 2 respectively and significantly lower in washed cells (4.7±2.4 and 3.5±1.3 μg/cm2). The skin absorption of nicotine can lead to minor health ilness in vapers, while caution must be paid to dermal contamination by e liquids in children. The skin cleaning significantly reduced the transdermal absorption kinetic and intradermal deposition of nicotine.