Comparison of N-nitrosodiethylamine degradation in water by UV irradiation and UV/O3: Efficiency, product and mechanism

N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) is a member of nitrosamines, which is strong carcinogenic. In order to explore an effective treatment method for NDEA removal from water, sole UV irradiation and UV/O-3 were carried out in this study. The removal efficiency, degradation products and pathways were compared between those two processes. Results showed that NDEA removal efficiency achieved 99% within 15 min by both UV and UV/O-3. Degradation reaction well followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Water pH had different effect on NDEA degradation in those two processes. Acidic and neutral conditions were good for NDEA degradation by sole UV irradiation. However, NDEA underwent rapid degradation under various pH conditions in the UV/O-3 process. Though the ozone introduction in the UV/O-3 process had little effect on NDEA degradation efficiency, it had significant effect on its degradation products and pathways. Methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine and diethylamine were observed as aliphatic amine products of NDEA degradation in both two processes. They were assumed to arise due to N-N bond fission under UV irradiation, or due to the reaction of NDEA and hydroxyl radicals in the UV/O-3 process. (C) 2010 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.