The presence of N-nitrosamines in water bodies used for drinking water purposes may present a more serious risk for humans than regulated disinfection by-products (DBPs) species. Hence, understanding and controlling the incidence of N-nitrosamines represents a contemporary challenge to the water industry. Although many of these molecules potentially formed as DBPs are detected in chlorinated natural waters, few studies have focused on the formation, occurrence, and analysis of N-nitrosamines. Until now, nine N-nitrosamines have been detected in water samples; N-nitrosodimethylamine is the most frequently reported nitrosamine in drinking water. Although there are currently no federal regulations for these molecules in drinking water, this family of N-DBPs is one of three potential groups of contaminants highlighted for possible regulatory action in the near future. This paper gives an overview of the current knowledge concerning the occurrence, precursors, and formation mechanisms of N-nitrosamines in water. In addition, the existing regulations are described and relevant analytical methods used for their quantification in water samples are also discussed.

N-nitrosamines are a new class of emerging nitrogenous drinking water disinfection by-products. These compounds are probably carcinogenic which could seriously affect the safety of drinking water consumers. The aim of this study is to develop a simple, fast, and specific analytical method for the routine determination of low part per trillion levels of N-nitrosamines in waters. An ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS) method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of N-nitrosamines in waters. N-nitrosamines were extracted, purified and concentrated from water samples in one step using a solid-phase extraction (SPE). The compounds were detected in multiple reaction monitoring via electrospray ionisation source with positive ionisation mode. To achieve symmetrical peak shapes and a short chromatographic analysis time, the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, water and formic acid (60:40:0.1, v/v/v) was used in the experiment. Chromatographic separation of N-nitrosamines was done in less than two minutes. All calibration curves had good linearity (r2≥ 0.9989). The intra- and inter-day precision of the assay ranged from 0.59% to 3.11% and accuracy ranged from 99.66% to 104.1%. The mean recoveries of N-nitrosamines in spiked water were 98%-101%. The reproducability was acceptable with relative standard deviations of less than 3.53%. The proposed method yielded detection limits very low which ranges from 0.04 to 0.16 ng L−1. Finally, the developed analytical method was successfully applied to the analysis of N-nitrosamines in natural water sample