Tumorigenic agents in unburned processed tobacco: N-nitrosodiethanolamine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine.

Abstract

Two tumorigenic agents, N-nitrosodiethanolamine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, have been isolated from tobacco for the first time. The former, a reportedly weak hepatic carcinogen in rats, varied in amounts from a low of 0.1 ppb in flue-cured tobacco not treated with the herbicide MH-30, to a high of 173 ppb in Burley tobacco to which the herbicide had been applied prior to harvesting. MH-30 (maleic hydrazide) used by farmers to remove 'suckers' from tobacco plants, is commonly formulated as the diethanolamine salt. 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine, reported to induce tumors in mice, ranged in amounts from 60 to 147 ppb, except in the case of Burley tobacco where none was detected (detection limit: 0.1 ng). The source of the nitrosamine in the tobacco appears to be the MH-30, whereas that of dimethylhydrazine has not been determined.

• Authors: I Schmeltz, S Abidi, D Hoffmann
• Journal: Cancer letters (Cancer Lett) Vol. 2 Issue 3 Pg. 125-31 (Jan 1977) ISSN: 0304-3835 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 837359 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Dimethylhydrazines
• Hydrazines
• Nitrosamines
• N-nitrosodiethanolamine
• Diethylnitrosamine
• dimazine
• Maleic Hydrazide

Topics

• Diethylnitrosamine (analogs & derivatives)
• Dimethylhydrazines
• Hydrazines (analysis)
• Maleic Hydrazide (metabolism)
• Nitrosamines (analysis)
• Plants, Toxic
• Tobacco (analysis, metabolism)