Quantitative Estimation of Some Volatile N-Nitrosamines in Tobacco Smoke Using Validated GC-MS Method

Abstract

The aim of this work was the quantitative estimation of some volatile N-nitrosamines in tobacco
smoke of local cigarette different brands using an efficient, rapid and sensitive GC-MS method which
was validated before. The chromatographic system suitability was tested by using the following
characteristics: The RSD, % of peak areas (five replicate injections) was <2.0 %; The RSD, % of
retention times <1.0 %; the number of theoretical plates was > 2000; the tailing factor < 2.0; the
resolution between the two nearest peaks >2.0 for all N-nitrosamines. The calibration curve was linear
over a concentration range 0.5 - 100 µg mL-1 with a correlation coefficient >0.99. The LOD and LOQ
were 0.25 µg mL-1 and 0.5 µg mL-1
, respectively.
This method can be used to determine nine volatile N-nitrosamines namely N-nitrosodimethylamine
(NDMA), N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), Nnitrosodipropylamine (NDPA), N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP), Nnitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), N-nitrosomorpholine (NMPA), N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPA) diluted
in solvent - methanol as a sample solution which can be obtained from tobacco smoke or solid/liquid
material using extraction. The determined quantities of some volatile N-nitrosamines - NDMA,
NMEA and NDEA in tobacco smoke vary 190 - 320, 87 – 119 and 99 – 166 ng/cigarette, respectively