Risk Analysis for the Carcinogen Pulegone in Mint- and Menthol-Flavored e-Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Products

Abstract

This analysis assesses the levels of the carcinogen pulegone in top-marketed brands of e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.

Figure:. Margin of Exposure (MOE) Calculation Method and MOE Comparison for Various Tobacco Products

A, Calculation of MOE for a potential carcinogenic or genotoxic chemical or food additive.^, An MOE greater than 10 000 is applied by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators as threshold for mitigation of potential carcinogenic activity of food additives. B, Comparison of the pulegone predicted MOE from tobacco products use (e-cigarette liquids for vape tanks and vape mod devices, smokeless tobacco, and menthol cigarette) to the FDA’s calculated MOE for pulegone from food intake. The MOEs within each tobacco product were also compared based on amount of tobacco product consumed. The MOEs for menthol cigarette use were calculated from the upper and lower level of pulegone range detected in 23 top-marketed brands (estimated to contain 0.037-0.290 μg/g of pulegone).