Secondhand Exposure to Simulated Cannabis Vaping Aerosols

Abstract

Emissions from cannabis vaping degrade indoor air quality and expose non-users to secondhand pollutants. We investigated how the vaping mixture composition affects indoor aerosol characteristics and exposures. Simulated cannabis vaping aerosol was produced by flash evaporation in a 20 m³ chamber of mixtures containing terpenoids, cannabinoids, cannabis extract constituents, and the adulterant vitamin E acetate (VEA). Aerosol time- and size-resolved concentrations (8 nm–2.5 μm at 1 Hz) were measured, and a dosimetry model was used to evaluate the intake of secondhand aerosols. The results showed peak particle number (PN) concentrations between 0.7 × 10⁶ and 13 × 10⁶ cm^–3 and peak mass concentration (PM_1.0) between 65 and 1191 μg m^–3 at t = 5 min after emission. Concentrations decreased to 21–57% of peak PN and 33–69% of peak PM_1.0 at t = 60 min. The PM_1.0 yield was 0.06 for a terpenoid-only mixture, 0.22–0.36 for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-terpenoid mixtures, and >1 for mixtures containing high concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD) or VEA. For intake deposition, the highest aerosol fraction was deposited in the pulmonary region, followed by the tracheobronchial and head regions. Deposition increased in the presence of THC, CBD, or VEA, with aerosols <100 nm contributing the majority of particles deposited in all regions.