Limiting human exposure to carcinogenic compounds in the environment is an important element in the reduction of human cancers. Nitrosamines are a ubiquitous family of carcinogenic compounds that are derived from agricultural, industrial and material manufacturing processes. As a class of chemicals the nitrosamines with few exceptions, have been shown to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic in humans with at least 300 known carcinogenic nitrosamines that have been shown to induce tumors in over thirty animal species. The reactivity of the nitrosamines is highly dependent on the structure showing a significant variability based on the nature of the substituents on the nitrogen bearing the nitroso group. We have examined, in detail, the impact of advanced oxidation processes (AOP's) on a variety of structural classes of nitrosamines with respect to their removal from water resources. We report here the reactions of the oxidizing hydroxyl, the reducing hydrated electron, and the sulfate radical with a series of aromatic nitrosamines, including model compounds of the tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA). These nitrosamines have shown specific reactivity patterns based both on structure, and the specific radical used. Absolute rate constants and transient radical spectra, from electron pulse radiolysis studies, as well final stable product identifications, from steady-state irradiations will be presented for these reactions.

Removing carcinogenic nitrosamines from water using AOP's

248th National Meeting (2014)

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