Science of The Total Environment 2012-02-15

Degradation kinetics and N-Nitrosodimethylamine formation during monochloramination of chlortoluron.

Bin Xu, Cao Qin, Chen-Yan Hu, Yi-Li Lin, Sheng-Ji Xia, Qian Xu, Seleli Andrew Mwakagenda, Xiang-Yu Bi, Nai-Yun Gao

Index: Sci. Total Environ. 417-418 , 241-7, (2012)

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Abstract

The degradation of chlortoluron by monochloramination was investigated in the pH range of 4-9. The degradation kinetics can be well described by a second-order kinetic model, first-order in monochloramine (NH(2)Cl) and first-order in chlortoluron. NH(2)Cl was found not to be very reactive with chlortoluron, and the apparent rate constants in the studied conditions were 2.5-66.3M(-1)h(-1). The apparent rate constants were determined to be maximum at pH 6, minimum at pH 4 and medium at alkaline conditions. The main disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed after chlortoluron monochloramination were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-ESI-MS and GC-electron capture detector. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and 5 volatile chlorination DBPs including chloroform (CF), dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1-dichloropropanone, 1,1,1-trichloropropanone and trichloronitromethane were identified. The distributions of DBPs formed at different solution pH were quite distinct. Concentrations of NDMA and CF were high at pH 7-9, where NH(2)Cl was the main disinfectant in the solution. NDMA formation during chlortoluron monochloramination with the presence of nitrogenous salts increased in the order of nitrite