Characterization of nitrosation products in cosmetics raw materials by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques.

Characterization of nitrosation products in cosmetics raw material samples has been accomplished by three liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) techniques. Two of the techniques involved conventional methodologies of LC/MS and LC/tandem mass spectrometry, both of which can be used to detect and identify products formed under extreme-nitrosation conditions. The third technique utilized an on-line coupling of a photolysis reactor with the LC/MS, and it may be used as a rapid and specific means of screening for the presence of known and unknown N-nitrosamines, which may be carcinogenic.