UV photolytic mechanism of N-nitrosodimethylamine in water: dual pathways to methylamine versus dimethylamine.

The direct ultraviolet (UV) photolysis of N-nitrosodimethyl-amine (NDMA), a well-known potential carcinogen, was investigated in aqueous solution with its degradation products analyzed quantitatively. NDMA is known to be photolyzed either to dimethylamine (DMA) or to methylamine (MA) by two distinct pathways. However, the mechanism through which NDMA is photolyzed to DMA is still not clearly understood. This study reveals a new mechanistic pathway of NDMA photolysis to DMA by identifying the factors influencing the photolysis pathway. The two pathways of NDMA photolysis were found to be strongly dependent on the initial NDMA concentration and solution pH. Increasing the initial NDMA concentration clearly favored the DMA formation path. DMA production was optimized in the region of pH 4-5. The nitrite ion (NO2-) produced from the NDMA photolysis was identified as a key reagent in directing the NDMA photolysis toward DMA production. The observed photolytic behaviors of NDMA photolysis could be successfully explained in terms of the new mechanism involving the role of NO2-.