N-nitrosamines In Smoke Research Articles

Cleaning carcinogenic nitrosamines with zeolites

N-nitrosamines are characterized with an N-nitroso group N–NO. N-nitrosamines are strong carcinogens or potent carcinogens. Nitrosamines occur widely in the environment, e.g., as tobacco smoke that causes cancers of lungs, larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, pancreas, kidney and bladder. It is difficult to capture selectively N-nitrosamines in the environment. Therefore, zeolite, which is a molecular sieve, may help to sequester N-nitrosamines. Zeolites are a class of aluminosilicates, characterized by ordered microporous structures with acidic–basic sites on the surface and energetic field inside the pores. They have been widely applied in industry as adsorbents and catalysts because of their unique shape selectivity. Here, we review the latest research on adsorption and catalytic degradation of N-nitrosamines by zeolite materials. The efficiency of zeolite is increased using metal oxides. Removal of N-nitrosamines in smoke is discussed.

Artifact Formation During Smoke Trapping: An Improved Method for Determination of iV-Nitrosamines in Cigarette Smoke

Studies in our laboratory revealed artifactual formation of N-nitrosamines during trapping of mainstream and sidestream tobacco smoke by the method of Hoffmann and coworkers (2, 4). Both volatile and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines were produced. This artifact formation took place on the Cambridge filter, which is part of the collection train used in the previously published procedure. When the filter was treated with ascorbic acid before smoke collection, artifact formation was inhibited. The improved method resulting from these studies was applied to a comparative analysis of N-nitrosamines in smoke from cigarettes that heat, but do not burn, tobacco (the test cigarette) and several reference cigarettes. Concentrations of volatile and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in both mainstream and sidestream smoke from the test cigarette were substantially lower than in the reference cigarettes.