Many nitrosamines, especially N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), are potent carcinogens. Only
recently, NDMA was identified as a new byproduct from disinfection with chloramines. This research was performed to develop strategies and methods to minimize the formation
of nitrosamines during chloramination of drinking water. Thereby, emphasis was not only put
on the formation of the most prominent N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), but also on other relevant
nitrosamines including N-nitrosoethylmethylamine (NEMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosodi-
n-propylamine (NDPA), N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (NDBA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP), Nnitrosopyrrolidine,
N-nitrosomorpholine, and N-nitroso-dicyclohexylamine (NDcHxA). The nitrosamine
formation potential (NFP) of selected natural waters of different origin was determined in
laboratory-based NFP-tests using preformed monochloramine. In parallel to these NFP tests, the
waters under investigation were characterized by analysis of important physico-chemical parameters
such as pH, alkalinity, TOC, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, boron and secondary amines. In each water,
NDMA turned out to be the major nitrosamine byproduct formed during chloramination. Other
nitrosamines formed were NDEA, NPYR, and NMOR; however, levels were at least one order of
magnitude lower than those of NDMA. Only a small fraction of the formed amounts of NDMA,
NDEA, NPYR and NMOR could be attributed to the corresponding secondary amine precursors
dimethylamine (DMA), diethylamine (DEA), pyrrolidine (PYR), and morpholine (MOR), indicating
that the major portion of nitrosamine formation is related to tertiary amines. Some tertiary dimethylamines
(e.g., ranitidine) were found to show conversion rates into NDMA up to 83-fold higher than
DMA. For surface waters, a good correlation was found for NDMA formation and the boron content
in the water, supposing a major impact of anthropogenic pollution on the NFP. None of the other
parameters analyzed in the basic set of physico-chemical parameters showed any similar correlation.
The comprehensive evaluation of the data implies that water utilities using surface water under the
influence of wastewater are at higher risk for nitrosamine formation during chloramination than those
making use of non-impacted water sources. In further investigations the nitrosamine precursor
removal by different treatment steps used in waterworks was studied in laboratory experiments and at
water utilities. Treatment steps based on riverbank filtration and artificial groundwater recharge turned
out to be capable of reducing the nitrosamine precursor amount significantly. Further precursor
removal can be obtained by activated carbon treatment, chlorination and ozonation. Investigations
concerning flocculation with iron chloride or polyaluminum chloride, however, did not show any major
removal of nitrosamine precursor compounds via this treatment step, as did treatment via aeration or
lime softening. Secondary amines were removed during aerobic riverbank filtration in the field with an
average efficiency of 76 % for DMA, 66 % for DEA, 52 % for PYR, 80 % for MOR. Also NDMA
already present in surface water was eliminated (>90 % removal) by the riverbank filtration process. Includes 35 references, tables, figures.