The N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation pathway
in chloraminated drinking water remains unresolved. In pH 7–10
waters amended with 10 μM total dimethylamine and 800 μeq
Cl2·L–1 dichloramine (NHCl2), NDMA, nitrous oxide (N2O), dissolved oxygen (DO), NHCl2, and monochloramine (NH2Cl) were kinetically quantified.
NHCl2, N2O, and DO profiles indicated that reactive
nitrogen species (RNS) formed during NHCl2 decomposition,
including nitroxyl/nitroxyl anion (HNO/NO–) and
peroxynitrous acid/peroxynitrite anion (ONOOH/ONOO–). Experiments with uric acid (a ONOOH/ONOO– scavenger)
implicated ONOOH/ONOO– as a central node for NDMA
formation, which were further supported by the concomitant N-nitrodimethylamine formation. A kinetic model accurately
simulated NHCl2, NH2Cl, NDMA, and DO concentrations
and included (1) the unified model of chloramine chemistry revised
with HNO as a direct product of NHCl2 hydrolysis; (2) HNO/NO– then reacting with (i) HNO to form N2O,
(ii) DO to form ONOOH/ONOO–, or (iii) NHCl2 or NH2Cl to form nitrogen gas; and (3) NDMA formation
via ONOOH/ONOO– or their decomposition products
reacting with (i) dimethylamine (DMA) and/or (ii) chlorinated unsymmetrical
dimethylhydrazine (UDMH-Cl), the product of NHCl2 and DMA.
Overall, updated NHCl2 decomposition pathways are proposed,
yielding (1) RNS via
and (2) NDMA via
.