Occurrence and removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine and its precursors in wastewater treatment plants in and around Shanghai

Six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were investigated to evaluate the occurrence and removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), NDMA formation potential (FP) and four specific NDMA precursors, dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylformamide (DMFA) and dimethylaminobenzene (DMAB). DMA and tertiary amines with DMA functional group commonly existed in municipal wastewater. Chemically enhanced primary process (CEPP) had no effect on removal of either NDMA or NDMA FP. In WWTPs with secondary treatment processes, considerable variability was observed in the removal of NDMA (19%–85%) and NDMA FP (16%–76%), moreover, there was no definite relationship between the removal of NDMA and NDMA FP. DMA was well removed in all the six surveyed WWTPs; its removal efficiency was greater than 97%. For the removal of tertiary amines, biologic treatment processes with nitrification and denitrification had better removal efficiency than conventional activated sludge process. The best removal efficiencies for TMA, DMFA and DMAB were 95%, 68% and 72%, respectively. CEPP could remove 73% of TMA, 23% of DMFA and 36% of DMAB. After UV disinfection, only 17% of NDMA was removed due to low dosage of UV was applied in WWTP. Although chlorination could reduce NDMA precursors, NDMA concentration was actually increased after chlorination.