As drinking water has become more scarce, alternative water resources, particularly potable water reuse, have become increasingly viable sources of drinking water. However, there are human health risks associated with recycled water, which stem from the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) when unknown organics in wastewater react with disinfectants like ozone or chlorine. Nitrogenous DBPs are a class of DBPs that remain unregulated even though they have been shown to be more toxic than regulated DBPs like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Since there are so many contaminants present at low levels in wastewater, it is difficult to identify specific DBP precursor compounds. In order to assess the contribution of particular types of amines (primary, secondary, and tertiary) in recycled wastewater to nitrogenous DBP concentrations, chemical derivatization methods were used to reduce the reactivity of amines with disinfectants such as ozone and determine their DBP formation potential by quantifying the difference in DBP yields between samples containing available amino groups and samples with derivatized amines. Selective derivatization agents were used to target each type of amine. Tertiary amines were derivatized with benzyl bromide. As secondary amine derivatization agents react with primary amines as well, a method was developed to isolate primary and secondary amines in aqueous environmental samples by protecting primary amines with a reversible process, followed by irreversible derivatization of the secondary amines, and finally deprotection of the primary amines. DBP yields were reduced when corresponding precursors were selectively derivatized prior to reaction with various disinfectants.

Nitrogenous disinfection byproduct formation potential of amines in recycled wastewater

ACS Spring 2022

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