Contamination of toiletries and cosmetic products with volatile and nonvolatile N-nitroso carcinogens.

Commercially available cosmetics and toiletries were analyzed for contamination with volatile and nonvolatile N-nitrosamines. Of a total of 145 samples analyzed 50 were found to contain N-nitrosodimethylamine (max. value found 24 micrograms/kg), 26 samples were contaminated with N-nitrosomorpholine (max. value found 640 micrograms/kg), and 25 samples contained N-nitrosodiethanolamine, a non-volatile carcinogen (max. value found 1400 micrograms/kg). These results are discussed and compared with other published data on NDE1A in cosmetics, with reference to potential human exposure and to possible preventive measures.