Pharmaceutical and cosmetics teams now manage high sample volumes and increasing regulatory expectations. Many products, ingredients, and excipients need routine checks to understand formation risk.
Lack of fast screening
Detailed analysis often becomes the only option when no quick screening step is available. This slows investigations and makes it difficult to manage high sample volumes efficiently.
Need for quick answers
Teams need a quick way to see whether nitrosamines are present before committing time to deeper investigation. A simple pass/fail indication helps focus effort where it is needed.
One result for all nitrosamines
The ATNA measures the total amount of nitrosamines in a sample and reports a single value for the entire group. This includes known nitrosamines as well as those without standards or those that form unexpectedly during production or storage. It gives teams a fast indication of when further targeted testing may be needed.
This approach does not rely on individual compound standards, making it well suited to early screening and investigation work.
ATNA: an introduction
An introduction to the ATNA, showing how automated total nitrosamine screening works and where it fits into routine laboratory testing.
How automated total nitrosamine testing works
The ATNA measures total nitrosamines by heating the sample to release nitric oxide and then detecting this gas with a nitrogen-selective analyser. All nitrosamines contribute to the signal, which produces a single total value. This makes it straightforward to see when nitrosamine formation is occurring, even if unexpected compounds are present. It provides a quick way to decide whether further investigation is required.
Samples are placed in sealed headspace vials and loaded into the autosampler. Each vial is mixed and heated to release nitric oxide from any nitrosamines present.
Heating breaks the nitrosamine structure and produces nitric oxide in the headspace. This approach allows all nitrosamines to be measured together, including those without available standards.
The vapour is drawn into a thermal energy analyser, which responds only to the nitric oxide group. This selectivity removes background interference and provides a clear total nitrosamine value.
The final output is a single value that reflects the total amount of nitrosamines in the sample. This gives a quick indication of whether formation is taking place and whether targeted analysis should be considered.
From tablet to chromatogram
An step by step demonstration of the screening process, from sample preparation to total nitrosamine measurement.
Working with your samples
Whether you’re testing solid dose products, lotions, shampoos, or other materials, we can show how your samples fit into the screening process.
The ATNA measures the total amount of nitrosamines in a sample and reports a single combined value. This includes known nitrosamines as well as those that may form unexpectedly or do not have available standards.
No. The ATNA is designed for total screening rather than compound identification. It shows whether nitrosamines are present and when further targeted analysis may be required.
The ATNA is typically used as a first screening step. When a total nitrosamine result indicates formation, targeted GC or LC methods can then be used to identify and quantify individual compounds.
The ATNA is used with a wide range of sample types, including solid dose products, liquids, creams, and other complex matrices. Preparation and handling depend on the sample, and suitability can be discussed in advance.
Once samples are loaded, results are generated quickly as part of the automated sequence. Throughput depends on method settings, but the system can process multiple samples per hour.
