TITLE:
A New Automated Method and Sample Data Flow for Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in Human Urine
AUTHORS:
James A. Hodgson, Tiffany H. Seyler, Ernest McGahee, Stephen Arnstein, Lanqing Wang
KEYWORDS:
Volatile Nitrosamines, Automation, Sample Data Flow, Gas Chromatography, Tandem Mass Spectrometry
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Analytical Chemistry,
Vol.7 No.2,
February
2,
2016
ABSTRACT: Volatile
nitrosamines (VNAs) are a group of compounds classified as probable (group 2A)
and possible (group 2B) carcinogens in humans. Along with certain foods and
contaminated drinking water, VNAs are detected at high levels in tobacco
products and in both mainstream and side-stream smoke. Our laboratory monitors
six urinary VNAs—N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomethylethylamine
(NMEA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP),
N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR)—using isotope
dilution GC-MS/ MS (QQQ) for large population studies such as the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In this paper, we report for
the first time a new automated sample preparation method to more efficiently
quantitate these VNAs. Automation is done using Hamilton STARTM and Caliper
StaccatoTM workstations. This new automated method reduces sample preparation
time from 4 hours to 2.5 hours while maintaining precision (inter-run CV process. This new
automated method and the sample data flow are currently applied in bio-monitoring
of VNAs in the US non-institutionalized population NHANES 2013-2014 cycle.