Factors controlling N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation from dissolved organic matter

Abstract

The formation of cancinogenic nitrosamines, esp. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in water and wastewater treatment plants has drawn much attention in recent years. Dissolved organic matter from the transported Luan River water as water source of Tianjin was fractionated with different XAD resins and a series of ultra-filtration membranes with molecular weight (MW) cut-offs of 5k Da, 3k Da, and 1k Da, respectively. The NDMA yields from the raw water and each fraction were measured to investigate their role in NDMA yield. Results indicated that the hydrophilic fraction had a higher NDMA yield than those of hydrophobic fraction and transphilic fraction. The fraction with MW below 1k Da had a higher NDMA yield than that with larger MW. NDMA formation increased as the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) ratio decreased, which indicated that DON might serve as the real important precursor for NDMA. The correlation between NDMA yield and specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA₂₅₄) suggested that the latter might not represent the specific precursors for NDMA in the water. Besides the water quality, the influences of pH, disinfectant dosage, and disinfection contact time on the formation of NDMA were also examined. These results will help water treatment plants establish measures to control this harmful disinfection by-product.

Keywords

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) / disinfection by-product / dissolved organic nitrogen (DOC) / hydrophilic / molecular weight (MW) / specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA₂₅₄)

References

[1] Charrois J W A, Arend M W, Froese K L, Hrudey S E. Detecting N-nitrosamines in drinking water at nanogram per liter levels using ammonia positive chemical ionization. Environmental Science & Technology, 2004, 38(18): 4835–4841

[2] Charrois J W A, Boyd J M, Froese K L, Hrudey S E. Occurrence of N-nitrosamines in Alberta public drinking-water distribution systems. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science, 2007, 6(1): 103–114

[3] Planas C, Palacios O, Ventura F, Rivera J, Caixach J. Analysis of nitrosamines in water by automated SPE and isotope dilution GC/HRMS occurrence in the different steps of a drinking water treatment plant, and in chlorinated samples from a reservoir and a sewage treatment plant effluent. Talanta, 2008, 76(4): 906–913

[4] Asami M, Oya M, Kosaka K. A nationwide survey of NDMA in raw and drinking water in Japan. The Science of the Total Environment, 2009, 407(11): 3540–3545

[5] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. N-nitrosodimethylamine CASRN 62-75-9, Intergrated Risk Information Service (IRIS) Substance File. Washington DC, USA: USEPA, 1997

[6] Zhao Y Y, Boyd J, Hrudey S E, Li X F. Characterization of new nitrosamines in drinking water using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 2006, 40(24): 7636–7641

[7] Choi J, Valentine R L. Formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) from reaction of monochloramine: a new disinfection by-product. Water Research, 2002, 36(4): 817–824

[8] Mitch W A, Sedlak D L. Formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) from dimethylamine during chlorination. Environmental Science & Technology, 2002, 36(4): 588–595

[9] Weissmahr K W, Sedlak D L. Effect of metal complexation on the degradation of dithiocarbamate fungicides. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2000, 19(4): 820–826

[10] Mitch W A, Sedlak D L. Characterization and fate of N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Environmental Science & Technology, 2004, 38(5): 1445–1454

[11] Lee W, Westerhoff P, Croué J P. Dissolved organic nitrogen as a precursor for chloroform, dichloroacetonitrile, N-nitrosodimethylamine, and trichloronitromethane. Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(15): 5485–5490

[12] Chen W H, Young T M. Influence of nitrogen source on NDMA formation during chlorination of diuron. Water Research, 2009, 43(12): 3047–3056

[13] Park S H, Wei S T, Mizaikoff B, Taylor A E, Favero C, Huang C H. Degradation of amine-based water treatment polymers during chloramination as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursors. Environmental Science & Technology, 2009, 43(5): 1360–1366

[14] Gerecke A C, Sedlak D L. Precursors of N-nitrosodimethylamine in natural waters. Environmental Science & Technology, 2003, 37(7): 1331–1336

[15] Chen Z, Valentine R L. Formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) from humic substances in natural water. Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(17): 6059–6065

[16] Zhao Y Y, Boyd J M, Woodbeck M, Andrews R C, Qin F, Hrudey S E, Li X F. Formation of N-nitrosamines from eleven disinfection treatments of seven different surface waters. Environmental Science & Technology, 2008, 42(13): 4857–4862

[17] Chen Z, Valentine R L. Modeling the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) from the reaction of natural organic matter (NOM) with monochloramine. Environmental Science & Technology, 2006, 40(23): 7290–7297

[18] Mitch W A, Gerecke A C, Sedlak D L. A N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursor analysis for chlorination of water and wastewater. Water Research, 2003, 37(15): 3733–3741

[19] Aiken G R, McKnight D M, Thorn K A, Thurman E M. Isolation of hydrophilic organic acids from water using nonionic macroporous resins. Organic Geochemistry, 1992, 18(4): 567–607

[20] Yang X, Shang C, Lee W, Westerhoff P, Fan C. Correlations between organic matter properties and DBP formation during chloramination. Water Research, 2008, 42(8-9): 2329–2339

[21] APHA, AWWA, WEF. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 18th ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 1992

[22] Wu V C H, Kim B. Effect of a simple chlorine dioxide method for controlling five foodborne pathogens, yeasts and molds on blueberries. Food Microbiology, 2007, 24(7-8): 794–800

[23] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA/600/R-05/054. Determination of Nitrosamines in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Capillary Column Gas Chromatography with Large Volume Injection and Chemical Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS). Washington, DC: USEPA, 2004

[24] Hua G, Reckhow D A. Characterization of disinfection byproduct precursors based on hydrophobicity and molecular size. Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(9): 3309–3315

[25] Chen C, Zhang X J, Zhu L X, He W J, Han H D. Changes in different organic matter fractions during conventional treatment and advanced treatment. Journal of Environmental Sciences-China, 2011, 23(4): 582–586

[26] Chen C, Zhang X J, Zhu L X, Liu J, He W J, Han H D. Disinfection by-products and their precursors in a water treatment plant in North China: seasonal changes and fraction analysis. The Science of the Total Environment, 2008, 397(1-3): 140–147

[27] Pehlivanoglu-Mantas E, Sedlak D L. Measurement of dissolved organic nitrogen forms in wastewater effluents: concentrations, size distribution and NDMA formation potential. Water Research, 2008, 42(14): 3890–3898

[28] Croue J P, Korshin G V, Benjamin M. Characterization of Natural Organic Matter in Drinking Water. Denver: AWWA Research Foundation, 1999

[29] Westerhoff P, Mash H. Dissolved organic nitrogen in drinking water supplies: a review. Journal of Water Supply: Research & Technology - Aqua, 2002, 51(8): 415–448

[30] Westerhoff P, Chao P, Mash H. Reactivity of natural organic matter with aqueous chlorine and bromine. Water Research, 2004, 38(6): 1502–1513

[31] Najm I, Trussell R R. NDMA information in water and wastewater. Journal - American Water Works Association, 2001, 93(2): 92–102

[32] Luo X H. Formation studies on N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in natural waters. Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Columbia: University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg