"But Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said that daily condom
use exposed users to N-Nitrosamine levels up to three times higher than
levels naturally present in food"

ARTICLE

Sobering news for rubber contraceptive users.
    
A German scientific research institute has warned that most condoms on the
market contain a cancer-causing chemical and has urged that their
manufacture be subjected to stringent quality control.
 
The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart said on
Friday it had found the carcinogen N-Nitrosamine in 29 of 32 types of
condoms it tested in simulated conditions.
 
The condoms, which were kept in a solution with artificial sweat, exuded
huge amounts of cancer-causing N-Nitrosamine from its rubber coating.
Researchers measured amounts of N-Nitrosamine, that were way above the
prescribed limits for other rubber products such as baby pacifiers.
 
"N-Nitrosamine is one of the most carcinogenic substances," the study's
authors said. "There is a pressing need for manufacturers to tackle this
problem."
 
The study said that the carcinogen is thought to be present in a substance
used to improve condom elasticity. When the rubber material comes in
contact with human bodily fluids, it can release traces of N-Nitrosamine.
 
No immediate health risk
 
But since there are no prescribed limits of N-Nitrosamine for condoms, the
study hasn't caused panic among manufacturers or mass-recalling of the
products from counters.
 
Local government officials said condom users should not stop using rubber
contraceptives based on the results of the study because N-Nitrosamine
does not present an immediate health risk.
 
The Baden-Würtemmberg Social Ministry said it didn't think "it posed a
risk." Authorities are also withholding the name of the affected
manufacturers for fear of litigation.
 
Manufacturers should use alternative substances
 
But Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said that daily condom
use exposed users to N-Nitrosamine levels up to three times higher than
levels naturally present in food.
 
Werner Altkofer, head of the Stuttgart-based Chemical and Veterinary
Investigation Institute said that though the production of rubber usually
uses chemicals that can exude N-Nitrosamine, condom manufacturers could
bypass it by using more expensive alternative substances available on the
market that didn't form the carcinogen.
 
"We believe that it's up to the manufacturers to use other production
processes so that no N-Nitrosamine is formed in condoms," Altkofer said.
 
He added that the latter was technically possible going by the fact that
products of some manufacturers didn't show traces of the carcinogen during
the testing.
 
Beate Uhse taking no chances
 
Germany's biggest erotica compnay Beate Uhse however, has decided to play
it safe.
 
Shortly after the results of the study were introduced on Friday, the
group banned chocolate-flavored condoms from its range. That was because
the study had show that condoms laced with a chocolate flavoring had
overwhelming high levels of N-Nitrosamine

___________

"2-3 the fachen quantity daily taken up by food."

TRANSLATION (poor)
Krebserregende n-Nitrosamine in condoms
The CVUA Stuttgart examined samples from the condom pallet offered in
Baden-Wuerttemberg for the delivery of n-Nitrosaminen.
The balance: from 29 of 32 tested condoms n-Nitrosamine were extractable
with simulated application conditions; the highest measured delivery
amounted to 660 micro gram per kilogram material. N-Nitrosamine are
extracted with mucous membrane contact easily from the rubber material, so
that on use of this condom 1.36 micro gram of n-Nitrosamine can be
potentially delivered.
N-Nitrosamine rank among the strongest krebserregenden materials. They can
develop from substances, which are added during the production of condoms,
in order to lend to the rubber the necessary elasticity. Technically it is
possible to reduce or prevent the formation from n-Nitrosaminen to, as the
manufacturer changes the prescription. The fact that this is possible also
with the production of condoms was clearly confirmed by the
investigations: with 3 products no n-Nitrosaminabgabe was proven.
According to our opinion urgently action need exists on the part of the
manufacturers. The manufacturers are requested to minimize the delivery at
n-Nitrosaminen and to examine this accordingly with quality control.
Further legal regulations are urgently necessary for the delimitation of
the Nitrosaminabgabe due to these findings.
The found contents of n-Nitrosaminen are not acutely health threatening,
but the load of the body with krebserregenden materials is unnecessary and
avoidable.
Since condoms are that at present only safe means for preventing of AIDS
and other sexually transferable diseases, we recommend to use you despite
the found impurities further condoms!
The following overview shows the found contents at n-Nitrosaminen, which
were transferred during a simulation in the laboratory test to artificial
sweat:
Obligatory bordering and/or appoximate values for the Nitrosaminabgabe of
condoms is not so far fixed. As comparison the limit value for the
Nitrosaminabgabe can be consulted of baby sow gladly, afterwards
n-Nitrosamine may not be present, as practical zero value 10 micro gram
per kilogram rubber were specified.
Illustration: Contents of n-Nitrosaminen, which were transferred to
artificial sweat (contact contacts: 1 h with 37°C in welding solution,
vibration water bath)
µg/kg = micro gram per kilogram
 
Further information
For legal reasons we cannot make statements individual manufacturers of
products.
The risk evaluation for the current findings provides Bundesinstitut for
medicaments and medicine products (BfArM).
Bundesinstitut for risk evaluation (BfR) compares the load of humans on
the occasion of the risk evaluation of n-Nitrosaminen in ballons by food
with that, which is caused by other exposition paths. Therefore the
average daily admission of n-Nitrosaminen amounts to over the food 0.2 to
0.3 micro gram per day.
If one compares the above mentioned daily admission with the exposition by
condoms, then with unique daily use of the most highly loaded condom
places a quantity of n-Nitrosaminen is taken up, which corresponds to that
2-3 the fachen quantity daily taken up by food.