Absence of urinary N-nitrosodimethylamine in fasting humans following alcohol consumption

Fasted volunteers consumed 350 mg nitrate in beet juice; 1 h later, they consumed a volume of 10% alcohol in carbonated water sufficient to raise blood alcohol concentrations to at least 80 mg/100 ml. This alcohol concentration was then maintained over a 6-h period. During this period, and during the subsequent 12 h, no N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) or any other volatile nitrosamine was excreted in the urine of the volunteers (detection limit, 0.01 mumol). Therefore, less than 0.5 mumol NDMA is likely to be present in the stomach of a fasting human at any time.