Gas-liquid chromatographic-thermal energy analyzer determination of N-nitrosodimethylamine in beer at low parts per billion level.

A gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) procedure is described for the determination of low ppb levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in beer. The sample is treated with sulfamic acid under acidic conditions followed by alkalinization with dilute KOH, distillation at atmospheric pressure, extraction of NDMA from alkaline aqueous distillate with dichloromethane, concentration of dichloromethane extract by Kuderna-Danish concentrator, and, finally determination by a GLC-thermal energy analyzer technique with N-nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA) as an internal standard. The method gave results comparable with 2 other well established methods. Recoveries of added NDMA, N-nitrosodiethylamine, and NDPA at levels ranging from 0.08 to 10 ppb were 75-112, 86-115, and 85-109%, respectively. Five replicate analyses of a beer sample gave a mean NDMA concentration (corrected for recovery) of 2.21 +/- 0.08 ppb (+/- SD). Minimum detection limit of the method is about 0.1 ppb.