Nicotine Safety by /u/TeslaDelMar
This guide is intended to give an overview of nicotine safety and handling procedures. It is not a substitute for experience working with hazardous chemicals, but it should contain all of the information you need in order to be reasonably safe working with various concentrations of nicotine.
Background
Nicotine is a toxic alkaloid which can be fatal when ingested in relatively small doses. A common saying in toxicology is "the dose makes the poison." Everything is poisonous when you put enough of it into your body, it's just a matter of degree.
Therefore, the single most important factor in making all of your safety decisions should be the strength of the nicotine you are working with. Working with 500mg/mL base requires substantial additional investments in equipment and training that are not needed when working with 250mg/mL, and the same is true of 250 and 50. Unfortunately for us, even nicotine that is "low-strength" by mixing standards is quite toxic compared to most compounds in our daily lives. As little as 30mg can be fatal.
Equipment
The table below summarizes recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) based on the concentration of the nicotine you are handling.
| Concentration | Eyewear | Gloves | Respirator/Ventilation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-100 mg/mL | ✅ - Recommended | ❓ - Optional | ❌ - Not Required |
| 101-250 mg/mL | ✅ - Recommended | ✅ - Recommended | ❓ - Optional |
| 251+ mg/mL | ✅ - Recommended | ✅ - Recommended | ✅ - Recommended |
You may find yourself thinking, "I've mixed 100mg/mL nicotine without gloves before and I was fine." Consider every deviation from the safety procedure as a calculated risk. Skipping the gloves might be fine 9/10 times, but we're trying to prepare for the one time when something does go wrong.
Eyewear is always required when working with nicotine because the surface of your eye is more sensitive to and better at absorbing nicotine than your skin. Nicotine can blind you without killing you. A pair of safety glasses can cost as little as $5 - well worth it for the nearly complete eye protection they afford.
When dealing with >250mg/mL nicotine, extra precautions must be observed. Gloves are required in case you need to clean up a spill. A nitrile apron is a good idea, and you should consider either using a respirator or having high speed ventilation in your mixing environment.
Mixing Procedure
To make a batch of bottles, prepare the following equipment:
- Applicable PPE
- Nicotine in sealed, bagged bottle
- Bottles
- Scale
Assuming your nicotine is not in a dropper bottle, you will also need a clean eyedropper.
Now follow these steps:
- Put on your PPE.
- Turn on your scale.
- Remove the nicotine bottle from its bag.
- Place a bottle on the scale.
- Using an eyedropper or the bottle itself, dispense nicotine into the bottle on the scale.
- Take the bottle off the scale.
- Repeat steps 4-6 until you have put nicotine into each bottle.
Now you can add PG, VG, and flavors to each bottle.
Exposure treatment
NOTE: The author is not a doctor. None of the following should be considered medical advice. If you have any doubts or questions, ask a trusted medical professional before mixing.
If you get nicotine on your skin, simply wash it off with soap and warm water. Nicotine is not absorbed very quickly through the skin, so it would have to be a high concentration or a long duration of contact for you to feel the effects of nicotine toxicity.
If you get nicotine in your eyes, immediately and constantly flush the affected area with cool water for at least 10 minutes. If you have any residual pain or changes in vision, see a doctor as soon as possible.
If you get nicotine in your nose or any cuts/wounds, flush it out with water for several minutes.
If you swallow nicotine, immediately contact a poison control center or go to the nearest hospital.