RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOBACCO-SPECIFIC NITROSAMINES AND NITRITE FROM DIFFERENT AIR-CURED TOBACCO VARIETIES

Three tobacco varieties of differing agronomic characteristics were gr own and air-cured during the 1988-1990 growing seasons. The leaves wer e separated into lamina and midvein from three stalk positions. The re plicated samples were analyzed for individual alkaloids, nitrate, nitr ite, N'-nitrosonornicotine, N'-nitrosoanatabine, N'-nitrosoanabasine, and -[(methylnitroso)amino]-1-(3'-pyridyl)-1-butanone. The air-cured f lue-type tobacco contained consistently lower quantities of the indivi dual tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA). There were no statistical d ifferences in TSNA and stalk position or TSNA and curing season. Corre lation coefficients were determined between nitrite and individual TSN A. Their coefficients showed there was a positive relationship between nitrite levels and individual TSNA concentrations in the tobacco tiss ue. From this 3-year study there was no relationship between alkaloids or nitrate and individual TSNAs. This study indicates that accumulati on of TSNA in tobacco is limited by the amount of nitrite accumulated during air-curing.