[Quantitative determination of volatile nitrosamines in cigarette smoke (author's transl)].

Volatile nitrosamines from the smoke of different cigarettes were enriched by manifold clean-up procedures. Amines obtained after acid catalyzed denitrosation were transformed to fluorescent derivates of 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzofuranzane (NBD-Cl). These NBD-amines separated on polyamid sheets were fluorimetrically determined with a chromatogram-spectrophotometer. Recovery rates of 60--80% were found for the different nitrosamines in cigarette smoke condensate. The following nitrosamines were quantitatively determined: N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosoethylmethylamine, N-nitroso-ethyln-propylamine and N-nitroso-methyl-n-propylamine, N-nitroso-ethyl-n-propylamine and N-nitroso-methyl-n-propylamine. The last mentioned nitrosamine was proved for the first time in cigarette smoke. At the same time correlations between the nitrosamine content of the corresponding tobacco or condensate and the content of nitrate, total nitrogen, nicotine, volatile bases and ammonia were investigated. The nitrate content as well as the content of volatile bases showed an influence on the nitrosamine yield. The content of the different nitrosamines varied cosiderably depending on tobacco origin, so that a NNO-determination is recommended as index.