title: Removal of N-nitrosamines by an aerobic membrane bioreactor.
abstract: This study investigated the fate of eight N-nitrosamines during membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment. The results suggest that biodegradation is mainly responsible for the removal of N-nitrosamines during MBR treatment. Other removal mechanisms were insignificant (e.g. adsorption to sludge) or not expected (e.g. photolysis and volatilization) given the experimental conditions and physicochemical properties of the N-nitrosamines studied here. N-nitrosamine removal efficiencies were from 24% to 94%, depending on their molecular properties. High removal of N-nitrosamines such as N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosodiethylamine could be explained by the presence of strong electron donating functional groups (EDG) in their structure. In contrast, N-nitrosomorpholine possessing the weak EDG morpholine was persistent to biodegradation. The removal efficiency of N-nitrosomorpholine was 24% and was the lowest amongst all N-nitrosamines investigated in this study.
authors: Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
authors: Kaushalya C
authors: KC
authors: Wijekoon
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Fujioka
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: McDonald
authors: Stuart J
authors: SJ
authors: Khan
authors: Faisal I
authors: FI
authors: Hai
authors: William E
authors: WE
authors: Price
authors: Long D
authors: LD
authors: Nghiem
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D019149:Bioreactors; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009602:Nitrosamines; D012722:Sewage; D014873:Water Pollutants; C002741:N-nitrosomorpholine