ABSTRACT
The toxic properties of dimethylnitrosamine following the accidental exposure of workers in an industrial situation where the compound was being used as a solvent. In order to assess the hazard from in situ formation of nitrosamines during passage through the alimentary system, several workers have attempted to simulate conditions occurring in the stomach. The chemical reactions of the nitrosamines are essentially those of the nitroso group itself, e.g., reduction, oxidation, cyclisation and photochemical transformations. In general, large doses of the dialkyl nitrosamines given to animals produce severe liver necrosis accompanied by extensive hemorrhage both in the liver and at other sites. Gas-liquid chromatography is undoubtedly the most widely used technique for the separation of nitrosamines. Collaborative trials of analytical methods for nitrosamine determination in foods have been organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The electron capture detector has also been used for nitrosamine analysis.
