title: A N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursor analysis for chlorination of water and wastewater.
abstract: N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogen formed during chloramination of water and wastewater treatment plant effluents. A procedure is described for quantifying the concentration of the organic precursors of NDMA that could be formed during chlorination of wastewaters and natural waters. The method involves applying a high dose of monochloramine to a pH-buffered sample followed by a 10-day contact period, during which the monochloramine decays at a rate unrelated to the composition of the sample. Analyses of samples of municipal wastewater effluents and surface waters indicate that the method provides a robust and reproducible measurement of NDMA precursors over a wide range of conditions. A sensitive GC/CI/MS/MS analytical procedure for dimethylamine also is described and used to demonstrate that NDMA formation during chlorination of wastewater and natural waters cannot be explained by dimethylamine concentrations alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, 609 Davis Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Mitch
authors.forename: Andreas C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gerecke
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sedlak
mesh_terms: D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D014873:Water Pollutants; C008651:4-nitrosodimethylaniline