A survey of levels of ethyl carbamate in beer sold in south-east Nigeria.

Abstract

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a carcinogen produced in alcoholic beverages during fermentation and storage. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify ethyl carbamate in beer sold in South-East Nigeria using Gas-chromatographic method. A total of 27 beer samples were divided into three brands such as Lager, Herbal lager and Ale. Triplicate samples of each brand were obtained from three major distributors in three South-Eastern states of Nigeria. The results of the beer samples analyzed showed that ethyl carbamate occurred in high concentrations range of 0.033-0.072 mg/L (mean 0.055 mg/L) and thus may pose a serious health risk to humans.