Contribution of N,N-dimethylformamide to formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine by chloramination in sewage treatment plants and receiving rivers

Abstract

The contribution of specific precursors to N-nitrosodimethylamine formation potential (NDMA FP) upon chloramination depends not only on their NDMA molar yields but also on their concentrations in the actual environment. We investigated the seasonal and diurnal patterns of the NDMA precursor N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and NDMA FP in the Yodo River basin, Japan, by examining water samples taken from inside the basin's largest sewage treatment plant (STP) as well as samples from five final effluents from four STPs, two main stream sites, and two tributary sites in the same basin. DMF and NDMA FP were found to be high in influent (raw sewage), and were found to be mostly removed during the STP treatment processes (especially with biological treatment). Nevertheless, DMF was found in concentrations of 0.06 to 31.7 µg/L in chlorinated effluents and in receiving rivers, while NDMA FP was detected in concentrations of 3.57 to 306 ng/L. Thus, STPs were shown to be an important source of DMF and NDMA FP to rivers. A strong positive correlation between NDMA FP and DMF was confirmed in the receiving river (K-M), indicating that DMF was an important NDMA precursor in the Yodo River basin. The contribution of DMF to NDMA FP was 15.8±11.2% (n = 4) in summer and 82.1±10.2% (n = 4) in winter in the main stream (site K-M) of the river due to insufficient dilution of chlorinated effluents from the largest STP. From the viewpoint of NDMA and NDMA FP control at downstream sites, monitoring and control of DMF at upstream sites are important.

Keywords: Contribution; Formation potential; Intermediate; N,N-dimethylformamide; N-nitrosodimethylamine; Precursor.