Formation of Reactive Species Enhanced by H2O2 Addition in the Photodecomposition of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)

This study noted that the actual mechanism of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) photodecomposition in the presence of $H_2O_2$ is missing from the previous works. This study investigated a key unknown reactive species (URS) enhanced by the addition of $H_2O_2$ during the photolysis of NDMA with $H_2O_2$, not hydroxyl radicals. In order to provide experimental evidences in support of URS formation, we have mainly used p-nitrosodimethylaniline, methanol, and benzoic acid as well-known probes of ${\cdot}OH$ in this study. Both loss of PNDA and formation of hydroxybenzoic acids were dependent on NDMA concentrations during the photolysis in a constant concentration of $H_2O_2$. In particular, competition kinetics showed that the relative reactivity of an URS was at least identical with ${\cdot}OH$-like reactivity. In addition, the decay of NDMA was estimated to be about 65% by the direct UV light and about 35% by the reactive species or URS generated through the photolysis of NDMA and $H_2O_2$. Therefore, our data suggest that a highly oxidizing URS is formed in the photolysis of NDMA with $H_2O_2$, which could be peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$) as a potent oxidant by itself as well as a source of ${\cdot}OH$.