No volatile n-nitrosamines detected in blood and urine from patients ingesting daily large amounts of ammonium nitrate

Whole blood and urine from 23 patients ingesting ammonium nitrate daily in amounts varying from 2.5–9 g were analysed for volatile N-nitrosamines. By contrast with reports in the literature N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosodiethylamine were not found in blood (limit of detection 0.1 μg/kg) but a trace of N-nitrosopyrrolidine was found in the blood of one subject. Small amounts of N-nitrosomorpholine in some blood samples and in one blank were believed to be formed during the analysis since morpholine had been added to the samples to indicate artefactual nitrosamine formation. Traces of N-nitrosodimethylamine (0.1 μg/kg) were found in six of the 23 urine samples.