Lay summary
‘Vaping’ or e-cigarettes have been promoted as a tool to support smoking cessation to improve public health, with their use growing at exponential rates. However the toxicity and long-term health effects of compounds generated during vaping are not known. There is an urgent need to develop methods to evaluate the safety of vaping products. This project will develop novel analytical methods and testing protocols to understand the chemical composition of the aerosol vapour generated by e-cigarette devices. By separating and analysing each fraction of e-cigarette vapour, we will provide new opportunities to improve understanding of the chemical composition and the delivery of these compounds to the lungs during vape inhalation. Without this methodology, it will be impossible to obtain essential knowledge to inform regulators with evidence to enable appropriate policies, including industry regulation to ensure that long-term health impacts are minimised.