Production of macromolecular chloramines by chlorine-transfer reactions

Chlorination of treated wastewaters is undertaken to prevent dispersal of human pathogens into the environment. Except in well-nitrified effluents, the primary agents in chlorination, Cl2(g) or NaOCl(aq), are short-lived and quickly transfer oxidative chlorine to secondary agents (N-chloramines), which then participate in the disinfection process. Maturation of residual chlorine resulting from chlorine-transfer reactions is still poorly characterized. Using gel permeation and reversed-phase liquid chromatography combined with a novel, oxidant-specific detector, unanticipated trends during the maturation of residual chlorine in wastewater are identified. Within 2 min after addition of NaOCl, and continuing for several hours at least, significant amounts of oxidative chlorine are transferred to secondary agents that are moderately to strongly hydrophobic and to agents that have high relative molecular masses (Mr 1300-25000). It is hypothesized that hydrophobic stabilization of organic chloramines (RNHCl(o)) thermodynamically drives these transfers, making macromolecular chloramines the ultimate oxidative chlorine carriers. Macromolecular chloramines are expected to be sluggish oxidants, as observed in their reduction by sulfite, and are expected to be poor disinfectants. If transfer of oxidative chlorine to high Mr components occurs widely at treatment plants, then this phenomenon offers a new, physicochemical explanation for the well-known impotency of organic chloramines in wastewater disinfection.