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Environmental carcinogens selected methods of analysis Vol. 1, Analysis of volatile nitrosamines in food
292
Environmental Carcinogens Selected Methods of Analysis Vol. 1, Analysis o f Volatile Nitrosamines in Food, IARC Scientific Publications No. 18, e d i t e d by H. Egan R. Preussman, E . A . Walker, M Castegnaro a n d A . E . Wassermann, IARC (WHO), Lyon, France, 1978. Price: Sw. fr. 9 0 . 0 0 ; US $ 45.00. Nitrosamines represent a class of compounds of ever-increasing t o x i c o l o g i cal and environmental concern. The carcinogenicity, m u t a g e n i c i t y and teratogenicity of a broad spectrum of nitrosamines has been e x c e e d i n g l y well d o c u m e n t e d . It is also well recognized that man can be exposed t o N-nitroso c o m p o u n d s in a variety of ways including: via formation in the e n v i r o n m e n t with subsequent absorption for air, water, food and/or industrial and consumer products and formation in the human b o d y from precursors ingested separately in f o o d , water or air. We are especially concerned with preformed nitrosamines w h i c h can b e present in certain foods such as bacon, sausages and some fish p r o d u c t s , as well as nitrosamines formed in vivo from nitrites and a s p e c t r u m o f drugs. The major drawbacks in the past in obtaining an accurate m e a s u r e of t h e e x t e n t of this potential hazard has been the need to develop sensitive and specific analytical m e t h o d o l o g y for the detection of extremely l o w levels o f nitrosamines (generally in the low parts-per-billion range) and t h e necessity of unequivocally confirming the identity of these products. I A R C and t h e authors of this timely and exceedingly well-written authorative Scientific Publication on the Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in F o o d should b e congratulated for assembling a first-rate treatise. This volume is c o n v e n i e n t l y divided in t w o major section: (1} a general review of approaches to nitrosamine analysis comprising 8 chapters, and ( 2 ) m e t h o d s o f analysis comprising 11 chapters. Both sections are eminently useful both to t h o s e w h o are engaged in the analysis of this important class o f toxicant as well as t h o s e w h o intend to. The first section is particularly useful in highlighting t h e techniques o f sampling, extraction and clean-up m e t h o d o l o g y , final c h r o m a t o g r a p h y and detection, mass spectrometric techniques, derivative f o r m a t i o n , utility of chemiluminescence-based detectors, and a review o f analytical methods for the determination of amines, nitrate a n d nitrite in foodstuffs. T h e second section dealing with methods of analysis more definitively highlights various aspects of gas chromatographic, mass s p e c t r o m e t r i c a n d chemiluminescence techniques for the determination and c o n f i r m a t i o n o f nitrosamines in food is of broad utility and is especially r e c o m m e n d e d . This excellent IARC source of reference is highly r e c o m m e n d e d to t h e investigators in this rapidly expanding difficult field o f chemical analysis, a n d should well serve as a model for future monographs in o t h e r areas o f t o x i c a n t analyses.
Jefferson, A R (U.S.A)
L. Fishbein
Environmental Carcinogens Selected Methods of Analysis Vol. 1, Analysis o f Volatile Nitrosamines in Food, IARC Scientific Publications No. 18, e d i t e d by H. Egan R. Preussman, E . A . Walker, M Castegnaro a n d A . E . Wassermann, IARC (WHO), Lyon, France, 1978. Price: Sw. fr. 9 0 . 0 0 ; US $ 45.00. Nitrosamines represent a class of compounds of ever-increasing t o x i c o l o g i cal and environmental concern. The carcinogenicity, m u t a g e n i c i t y and teratogenicity of a broad spectrum of nitrosamines has been e x c e e d i n g l y well d o c u m e n t e d . It is also well recognized that man can be exposed t o N-nitroso c o m p o u n d s in a variety of ways including: via formation in the e n v i r o n m e n t with subsequent absorption for air, water, food and/or industrial and consumer products and formation in the human b o d y from precursors ingested separately in f o o d , water or air. We are especially concerned with preformed nitrosamines w h i c h can b e present in certain foods such as bacon, sausages and some fish p r o d u c t s , as well as nitrosamines formed in vivo from nitrites and a s p e c t r u m o f drugs. The major drawbacks in the past in obtaining an accurate m e a s u r e of t h e e x t e n t of this potential hazard has been the need to develop sensitive and specific analytical m e t h o d o l o g y for the detection of extremely l o w levels o f nitrosamines (generally in the low parts-per-billion range) and t h e necessity of unequivocally confirming the identity of these products. I A R C and t h e authors of this timely and exceedingly well-written authorative Scientific Publication on the Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in F o o d should b e congratulated for assembling a first-rate treatise. This volume is c o n v e n i e n t l y divided in t w o major section: (1} a general review of approaches to nitrosamine analysis comprising 8 chapters, and ( 2 ) m e t h o d s o f analysis comprising 11 chapters. Both sections are eminently useful both to t h o s e w h o are engaged in the analysis of this important class o f toxicant as well as t h o s e w h o intend to. The first section is particularly useful in highlighting t h e techniques o f sampling, extraction and clean-up m e t h o d o l o g y , final c h r o m a t o g r a p h y and detection, mass spectrometric techniques, derivative f o r m a t i o n , utility of chemiluminescence-based detectors, and a review o f analytical methods for the determination of amines, nitrate a n d nitrite in foodstuffs. T h e second section dealing with methods of analysis more definitively highlights various aspects of gas chromatographic, mass s p e c t r o m e t r i c a n d chemiluminescence techniques for the determination and c o n f i r m a t i o n o f nitrosamines in food is of broad utility and is especially r e c o m m e n d e d . This excellent IARC source of reference is highly r e c o m m e n d e d to t h e investigators in this rapidly expanding difficult field o f chemical analysis, a n d should well serve as a model for future monographs in o t h e r areas o f t o x i c a n t analyses.
Jefferson, A R (U.S.A)
L. Fishbein