Adsorption of N-nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosodimethylamine on activated carbon: A pre-concentration procedure for gas chromatographic analysis

Abstract

In this study, a rapid pre-concentration procedure, which employs powdered activated carbon as a clean-up and pre-concentration material, is described for the gas chromatographic analysis of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in aqueous solutions. It was found that powdered activated carbon is suitable for the adsorption of volatile N-nitrosamine compounds from aqueous solutions. Adsorption efficiency with spiked beer samples (alcohol content approximate to5% v/v) was found to be 80.5% (NDMA) and 89.4% (NDEA) and recovery of extraction from activated carbon was calculated as 82.1% (NDMA) and 89.7% (NDEA), respectively. The effect of 100 mug mL(-1) of tannic acid on the adsorption was also studied, and no significant effect on the adsorption and extraction of volatile N-nitrosamine compounds was found.