Nitrosamines   Chemical Formula: R1N(-R2)-N=O   Chemical Structure: BACKGROUND What are Nitrosamines? So whats the issue? HEALTH and ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Why Nitrosamines matter today SOURCES

Nitrosamines

 

Chemical Formula: R1N(-R2)-N=O   Chemical Structure:

BACKGROUND

What are Nitrosamines?

Nitrosamines are a group of chemical compounds, some of which are known to be potent carcinogens (they cause cancer) although they are classified as probably carcinogens in humans. There are several nitrosamines that are known to be potent cancer causers in mammals.

Just to be totally clear before you read about the bad ones, not all nitrosamines are carcinegenic.

So whats the issue?

Nitrosamines first began getting notice in relation to food. Nitrates are used to preserve freshness and taste in food. Awesome. Problems occur when we eat those nitrates and they enter our stomach. This is bad news for us because the acids and proteins combine with the nitrates to create nitrosamines. When those nitrosamines are metabolized they may mutate DNA and cause cancer. In humans, it has been difficult thus far to pinpoint the effects of dangerous nitrosamines.

Of the many types of nitrosamines that are out there only a few are of major concern. One of them is N-Nitrosodimethalyamine or NDMA for short. In animal tests NDMA has been identified as a carcinogen of the lungs, kidney, liver, and other organs. The liver toxicity of NDMA was studied as early as 1937 in workers exposed to the substance. Further studies have concluded that NDMA is carcinogenic in humans, especially in the liver. NDMA is a known carcinogen in animals but is only suspected in humans, although the evidence is strong.

HEALTH and ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Why Nitrosamines matter today

Nitrates are still being used in foods and are being used in some unlikely places like makeup and condoms (nitrosamines in makeup and condoms are not health concerns). Federal limits have been placed on the amount of nitrates that can be added to food because of concerns that were raised years ago.

The Nitrosamine concerns today are turning more and more to plastics and drinking water. One specific concern is with baby bottle nipples. According to this report on bio-medicine.org where six different bottle teat formulations were analyzed for nitrosamines, all came back positive for volatile N-nitrosamines (the ones that cause cancer). The natural rubber formulations contained significantly higher concentrations of NDMA and NMOR. The culprit seems to be various dialkyl amines that are used to stabilize the rubber. Upon digestion these dialkyl amines become nitrosamines, which are thought to be potent cancer causers.

Drinking water has become the newest concern in relation to nitrosamines. So far the concerns are mostly about NDMA. California launched a study of NDMA in drinking water and put out a report that can be seen by clicking here. The report draws from recent studies and sources on NDMA and states  "Studies of human exposure are much more limited and are suggestive but certainly not conclusive that human exposure to NDMA results in an increase in cancer." While regulatory bodies across the country are starting to look more seriously at this issue, there has yet to be any major movement.

The cause of nitrosamine appearances in drinking water seems to be in the purification process. Nitrosamines are metabolized very quickly in the body and in the environment they disappear at a rapid pace when exposed to sunlight. NDMA moves well in soil but rarely has an opportunity to enter the soil in the first place. In water NDMA disolves very quickly, so levels in lakes, streams, rivers, and other bodies exposed to sunlight are not much of a concern. However, according to this Environmental Science and Technology article, NDMA can form in purified drinking water because during a process called chloramination. During chloramination a nitrogen source is added to the water which allows the formation of nitrosamines. One study showed that the nitrosamines formed faster than they disolved in the pipes, which could be because of an excess of chloramine (nitrogen source). Chloramination is a process used to remove TMHs, which are carcinogenic. Ironically, the nitrosamines that are found as a result of chloramination are thought to be many times more carcinogenic than the TMHs being removed, says this report.

SOURCES