The Impacts of UV Direct Photolysis and UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Processes on the Formation of Nitrosamines and Organic Chloramines from Subsequent Chlor(am)ination

• Main Author: Harvey, Monica
• Other Authors: Susan, Andrews
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: drinking water; nitrosamines; UV/H2O2; 0775
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/18328

Ultraviolet direct photolysis (UV) and the advanced oxidation process UV/H2O2 are new technologies in the water treatment industry. Both treatments can cause the transformation of organic compounds. Nitrosamines and organic chloramines are disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed from the reaction of organic nitrogen compounds during chlorination or chloramination (chlor(am)ination) disinfection. It is therefore possible for UV and UV/H2O2 to affect the organic compound precursors for nitrosamines and organic chloramines and thus their formation from subsequent chlor(am)ination. The precursor compounds, UV and H2O2 doses used for UV or UV/H2O2, and alkalinity were found to have an effect on the formation of nitrosamines and organic chloramines during bench-scale experiments. Full scale studies found UV and UV/H2O2 had different effects on the formation of different nitrosamine species and organic chloramine concentrations, and that a potential correlation existed between the formation of organic chloramines from chlorination and the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine from chloramination.