Calculations and measurements on the volatility of N-nitrosamines and their aqueous solutions

The vapour pressures of 30 N-nitrosamines between 0 and 40 degrees C are calculated by means of well-known and experimentally proven formulae. The saturation concentration of the nitrosamines in air is presented as mmHg, ppm and mg/m3. For N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) the calculated values are compared with actual measurements in the same temperature range and are found to coincide very closely. Furthermore the partial pressures of NDMA, NDEA and NPYR over an aqueous solution were experimentally determined and are tabulated in mmHg and mg/m3, for practical purposes. The calculations have been programmed in BASIC on a scientific computer, however, commercial programmable pocket calculators would also have been sufficient.