How does NDMA form in chloraminated drinking water and could its formation be curbed?

NDMA is a probable human carcinogen that forms in small concentrations in drinking waters disinfected with chloramines. Prof Julian Fairey at the University of Arkansas has demonstrated that reactive nitrogen species (RNS) form by dichloramine decay and are key intermediates in the NDMA formation pathway. This finding may facilitate the development of strategies to curb NDMA by RNS quenching, helping to make drinking water safer across the United States.

Julian Fairey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR and the Principal Investigator (PI) for this project. David Wahman is a Research Environmental Engineer at the USEPA in Cincinnati, OH and collaborated on all aspects of this project. Huong Pham is a PhD Candidate at the University of Arkansas and performed the lab work and numerical modeling.