Overview of some aspects of occurrence, formation and analysis of nitrosamines.

This review principally addresses a number of aspects of the occurrence and formation of the nitrosamines, highlighting principal areas of potential concern ranging from the spectrum of nitrosatable moieties found in the environment (e.g., secondary and tertiary amines, quaternary ammonium compounds, ureas, carbamates and guanidines), specific examples of nitrosamines found in food, alcoholic beverages, feed (and their significance for carcinogenesis bioassays), air and water. The factors influencing in vitro and in vivo nitrosation and the evidence for the latter in man are also discussed. Additionally, germane areas of the analysis of nitrosamines are reviewed with a focus on the major areas of concern and requirements of extreme sensitivity and selectivity in addition to the problems of artifacts in the analytical procedures.