[Determination of 8 N-nitrosamines in the workplace air by GC-MS/MS method]

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Occupational Health

Context:

• Workplace air quality is critical for employee health.
• N-nitrosamines are a class of potentially carcinogenic compounds.
• Monitoring workplace exposure to N-nitrosamines requires sensitive analytical methods.

Purpose:

• To develop and validate a method for determining eight specific N-nitrosamines in workplace air.
• To utilize gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for enhanced sensitivity and specificity.
• To establish reliable detection limits and precision for occupational exposure assessment.

Summary:

• A novel GC-MS/MS method was established for quantifying eight N-nitrosamines in workplace air samples.
• The method employs ThermoSorb/N columns for collection, methanol-dichloromethane elution, and VF-624 ms capillary column separation.
• Detection was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with external standard quantification, achieving high linearity (0.9993-0.9999) and low detection limits (0.051-0.132 μg/L).

Impact:

• Provides a highly sensitive and precise analytical tool for N-nitrosamine monitoring in occupational settings.
• Enables accurate assessment of workplace air contamination, supporting risk management strategies.
• Contributes to improved occupational health and safety by facilitating the detection of harmful airborne contaminants.