Analytical determination of N-nitroso compounds in pesticides by the United States Environmental Protection Agency--a preliminary study.

Lijinsky, Eisenbrand and others have demonstrated the formation of N-nitroso derivatives of certain secondary amine pesticides under specified experimental conditions. Partly based on these studies and on reports of the industrial discharge of N-nitrosos compounds from several chemical manufacturing facilities the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued several reports on the nitroso problem, including a report by a special ad hoc committee under the Administrator's Science Advisory Board (1976). Unexpectedly high N-nitrosoalkylamine residues found in several pesticide products (Fine et al., 1976) have prompted EPA to conduct a survey, initially of approximately 70-80 pesticides that potentially were representative of the following three routes of contamination: 1. industrial process formation and carryover; 2. in situ (container) nitrosation and 3. utilization of contaminated amines in the manufacturing process. Environmental formation was not studied in this survey. Duplicate samples were analysed by two different laboratories using GC and HPLC interfaced with Hall, UV and chemiluminescent (TEA) detectors. Results of some analyses of this continuing survey are presented. Based partly on the results of this study, the Agency has decided to conduct risk-benefit analyses on pesticides suspected of containing N-nitroso contaminants, with special consideration given to oncogenic and mutagenic potential. The analytical results of the study are discussed, as is the cooperative effort within the Agency.