Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31821492›Full record

ArticleNicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco2020

Characterization of Nicotine Salts in 23 Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids.

Arit M Harvanko, Christopher M Havel, Peyton Jacob, Neal L Benowitz

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
7.7field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

78 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 139 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Comparing brain absorption and lung deposition of nicotine salts and free-base e-cigarettes: insights from [Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  5. E‑Cigarettes Generate Gas Phase Ions.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026
    Article
  6. What is the Addictive Potential from Vaping?Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Longitudinal Electronic Cigarette Exposures Impair Respiratory Function and Structure in the Female Apoe-/- Mouse.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2026
    Article
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  18. Salivary Metabolic Pathway Alterations in Brazilian E-Cigarette Users.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Arit M HarvankoCenter for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Christopher M HavelClinical Pharmacology Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Peyton JacobCenter for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Neal L BenowitzCenter for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
University of California, San Francisco · US

Funding

Research Support CoreP30DA012393 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI ST.HELEN, GIDEON · 1999 to 2024
$17.1M
Clinical Pharmacology of Electronic CigarettesR01DA039264 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI BENOWITZ, NEAL L · 2015 to 2021
$4.5M
Postdoctoral training in tobacco controlT32CA113710 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI LING, PAMELA MAY · 2016 to 2020
$2.6M
Liquid Chromatograph-Triple Quadrupole Mass SpectrometerS10RR026437 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI JACOB, PEYTON · 2010 to 2010
$448k
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA113710NCRR NIH HHS S10 RR026437NIDA NIH HHS P30 DA012393NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA039264
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMany electronic cigarette manufacturers have begun offering liquids containing "nicotine salts," which are formed when an acid is mixed in a solution with free-base nicotine. Type of salt could play a significant role in the abuse liability of electronic cigarette liquids. As a first step to understanding nicotine salts, this study sought to identify the types of acids present in 23 commercially available electronic cigarette liquids. AIMS AND

methodsTwenty-three electronic cigarette liquids advertised as containing nicotine salts were purchased for analysis. These liquids were tested for the presence of 11 different organic acids that were deemed likely to be used in a nicotine salt formulation. Liquids were analyzed using a combination of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, then compared to authentic acid standards for identification.

resultsSix of the 11 possible acids were identified in the liquids, from most to least common: lactic, benzoic, levulinic, salicyclic, malic, and tartaric acid. Acid(s) could not be identified in one of the liquids. Though most liquids contained only one type, three of the liquids contained multiple acids.

conclusionsThese data demonstrate that several types of salts/acids are currently being used in electronic cigarette liquids. The type and concentration of salt(s) used in these liquids may differentially alter sensations in the throat and upper airway, and overall pharmacology of the aerosols by altering liquid pH and from flavor and sensory characteristics of the acids themselves. IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrates that at least six different types of acids are being used to create the nicotine salts in electronic cigarette liquids, with the acids lactic, benzoic, and levulinic being the most frequently identified. Identification of these acids can serve as the foundation for future research to determine if type of nicotine salt alters pharmacological and toxicological effects of electronic cigarettes.

Indexed as

AerosolsChromatography, LiquidElectronic Nicotine Delivery SystemsFlavoring AgentsGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryHumansNicotineAerosolsFlavoring AgentsNicotine

Identifiers

PMID31821492
PMCPMC7291795
OpenAlexW2995562811

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.