NDMA forms from diuron

摘要

A common agricultural pesticide that persists in surface waters and groundwater may be contributing to the formation of a highly carcinogenic byproduct during water treatment. In a new study published in ES&T (pp 1072-1077), Wei-Hsiang Chen and Thomas Young of the University of California Davis confirm that the presence of diuron leads to an increased level of NDMA, or N-nitrosodimethylamine, in water undergoing chlorination or chlor-amination. The researchers have yet to elucidate a direct mechanism of formation.