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Contamination of toiletries and cosmetic products with volatile and nonvolatile N-nitroso carcinogens

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Summary

Commercially available cosmetics and toiletries were analyzed for contamination with volatile and nonvolatile N-nitrosamines. Of a total of 145 samples analyzed 50 were found to contain N-nitrosodimethylamine (max. value found 24 μg/kg), 26 samples were contaminated with N-nitrosomorpholine (max. value found 640 μg/kg), and 25 samples contained N-nitrosodiethanolamine, a non-volatile carcinogen (max. value found 1400 μg/kg). The results are discussed and compared with other published data on NDEIA in cosmetics, with reference to potential human exposure and to possible preventive measures.

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Abbreviations

NDMA:

N-nitrosodimethylamine

NMOR:

N-nitrosomorpholine

NDEIA:

N-nitrosodiethanolamine

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Dedicated to Professor Hermann Druckrey on the occasion of his 80th birthday

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Spiegelhalder, B., Preussmann, R. Contamination of toiletries and cosmetic products with volatile and nonvolatile N-nitroso carcinogens. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 108, 160–163 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390990

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390990

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