尽管氯胺在美国用于饮用水消毒已有60多年的历史，但随着人们发现氯胺化过程中产生的卤化有机物水平远低于氯化过程，人们对这些消毒剂的兴趣最近有所增加。然而，关于氯胺作为杀微生物剂的有效性及其对人类健康的可能影响，存在相当大的争议。本文综述了氯胺用于消毒的优缺点，包括其化学性质；它们对细菌、病毒和原生动物的有效性；以及它们对人类和野生动物产生的毒性作用。还讨论了利用实验室结果预测氯胺在现场的效率。包括208个参考文献、表格和图表。

Although chloramines have been used to disinfect drinking water in the United States for more than 60 years, interest in these disinfectants has recently increased with the discovery that much lower levels of halogenated organics are produced during chloramination than during chlorination. Considerable controversy exists, however, regarding the effectiveness of chloramines as microbicidal agents and their possible effects on human health. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of the use of chloramines in disinfection, including their chemical properties; their effectiveness against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa; and the toxic effects they produce in humans and wildlife. The use of laboratory findings for predicting the efficiency of chloramines in the field is also addressed. Includes 208 references, tables, figures.