UCT ENVIRO-CLEAN® 521 in Action: Study of NDMA in Midwestern Watersheds

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) belongs to the nitrosamines group, which are emerging disinfection by-products of health and regulatory concern due to its reported toxicity and carcinogenicity. NDMA is highly soluble in water, and it is found in drinking water and wastewater sources. Although NDMA is an unregulated contaminant various states have established (NDMA) guidelines in drinking water. The department of public health in California and Minnesota have set guidance values of 10 ng/L and 5 ng/L respectively. Globally, the World Health Organization has maintained a guideline value of 100 ng/L for NDMA in drinking water since 2008.

Activated carbon serves as the predominant choice for solid phase extraction to isolate nitrosamines from water due to its porous structure and high surface area, rendering it adept at capturing small polar molecules such as NDMA. UCT., Inc, a leading manufacturer of solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, offers the ENVIRO-CLEAN® 521 (EU52112M6) activated carbon line, widely recognized for its application in detecting nitrosamines in drinking water. In a recently published study by L. Jiaqi et al. at the University of Minnesota, our UCT product was utilized for NDMA extraction from river water samples, showcasing its effectiveness in environmental research and analysis of water quality.

This research analyzed the spatial distribution of NDMA precursors in rivers across four major watersheds with diverse land use characteristics in Minnesota, USA. River water samples underwent chloramination under uniform formation conditions (UFC) before and after lime-softening treatment, and the resulting NDMA concentrations were measured (NDMA_UFC). Geostatistical analysis was conducted by the authors to explore the likely sources of NDMA precursors along the rivers, considering anthropogenic activities in the vicinity of the sample locations to establish links between land use and NDMA formation. The study revealed that animal feedlots and domestic wastewater discharges are prominent sources of NDMA precursors in the examined watersheds, emphasizing the significance of correlating land use with potential NDMA precursor sources.

Citation: J. Li; W.A. Arnold; R.M. Hozalski. Animal Feedlots and Domestic Wastewater Discharges are Likely Sources of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) Precursors in Midwestern Watersheds. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58, 6, 2973–2983.doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c09251

Related Application Note: EPA Method 521 (EU52112M6)-Determination of Nitrosamines in Drinking Water (https://www.unitedchem.com/resources/application-notes/?query=521 )