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Document ID ca-gcdwqgtdn-2021-09-21 Title Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document: N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) URL https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-n-nitrosodimethylamine-ndma/page-3-guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-n-nitrosodimethylamine-ndma.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Wastewater, Industrial water, Groundwater Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-18 15:38:14.580543+00:00 Relevance Technical document supporting drinking water quality guidelines for NDMA.

Q Qualitative Requirements (7)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Context Conditions Confidence
#Q001treatmenttreatmentrecommendedOptimization of existing treatment facilitiesdrinking waterExisting treatment facilities and processes should be optimized to reduce the formation of disinfection by-products, including NDMA, without compromising the effectiveness of disinfection.high
#Q002operationaltreatmentrecommendedSelection of coagulants and ion exchange resinsdrinking waterTo minimize NDMA formation, drinking water utilities should pay special attention when selecting polyelectrolyte coagulants and ion exchange resins and should minimize the use of quaternary amine-based coagulation polymers (Wilczak et al., 2003).When selecting polyelectrolyte coagulants and ion exchange resins.high
#Q003designtreatmentrecommendedAssessment of disinfection strategydrinking waterIn particular, the treatment study (including pilot testing) should assess the disinfection strategy for its potential to form disinfection by-products.When conducting a treatment study to reduce NDMA levels.high
#Q004designtreatmentmandatoryPilot study for UV and AOP treatmentdrinking waterAlthough UV and AOP can reduce concentration of NDMA in water, the selection of that treatment option will require pilot study/consideration regarding the potential formation of NDMA subsequent to chlorination steps.If selecting UV or AOP treatment options.high
#Q005administrativehealthrecommendedCertification of residential treatment devicesdrinking waterWhere consumers choose to use a device, it is important to note that Health Canada does not recommend specific brands of drinking water treatment devices, but it strongly recommends that consumers look for a mark or label indicating that the device has been certified by an accredited certification body as meeting the appropriate NSF/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.Where consumers choose to use a drinking water treatment device.high
#Q006designtreatmentrecommendedTesting of RO filtersdrinking waterBecause NDMA reduction is dependent on membrane type, testing of various RO filters should be done to select the most appropriate system for the water being treated.When selecting RO systems for NDMA reduction.high
#Q007treatmenttreatmentrecommendedMaintenance of RO technology productsdrinking waterProducts that use RO technology can lose removal capacity through usage and time and should be maintained or replaced as per the manufacturer's recommendations.Applies to consumer products using RO technology.high

P Quantitative Requirements (16)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Limit Type Limit Value Context Conditions Confidence
#P001chemicalhealthmandatoryNDMA province standarddrinking waterrequirement0.009 µg/LOntario's standard for NDMA in finished drinking waterFinished drinking waterhigh
#P002physicalunknownmandatorySkin permeability coefficient (Kp)drinking waterrequirement> 0.024 cm/hIn order for a chemical to contribute at least 0.15 litre-equivalents (L-eq) during showering and bathingDetermining whether dermal exposure represents a significant route of exposuremedium
#P003physicalunknownrecommendedAir to water NDMA concentration (Fair:water)drinking waterrequirement> 0.00089 unitlessFor a tier 1 goal of 0.15 L-eq to evaluate the inhalation route of exposure during bathing or showeringmedium
#P004chemicalreportingguidanceEPA Method 521 minimum reporting leveldrinking waterunknown1.6 ng/LLowest concentration minimum reporting level for EPA Method 521high
#P005chemicalreportingguidanceEPA Method 521 detection limitdrinking waterunknown0.28 ng/LDetection limit for EPA Method 521 analysis of NDMAhigh
#P006designtreatmentguidanceUV dose for 90% reduction of NDMAdrinking watertreatment_goal1000 mJ/cm²The UV dose required for 90% reduction of NDMA is about 1000 mJ/cm²Municipal scale treatment using UV irradiationhigh
#P007operationalhealthmandatoryStandard daily drinking water consumptiondrinking waterrequirement1.5 L/dValue normally considered for ingestion of drinking water in exposure assessmentsTier 1 multi-route exposure assessmenthigh
#P008operationalhealthmandatoryDermal absorption litre-equivalent (L-eq) for NDMAdrinking waterrequirement0.4 L-eq/dValue calculated to account for dermal absorption of NDMA in drinking waterhigh
#P009operationalhealthmandatoryTotal multi-route drinking water consumptiondrinking waterrequirement1.9 L/dValue for total exposure from drinking water (ingestion + dermal) used in MAC calculationWhen dermal absorption is considered significant (> 0.024 cm/h)high
#P010designhealthmandatoryBathroom air volume for assessmentdrinking waterrequirement6420 LVolume of air in an average bathroom used in the multi-route exposure assessment modelUsed to calculate the air to water ratio (80.25)high
#P011designhealthmandatoryAverage shower/bath water volumedrinking waterrequirement80 LAverage volume of water used during the showering/bathing event in the multi-route modelUsed to calculate the air to water ratio (80.25)high
#P012operationalhealthmandatoryTransfer efficiency (McKone and Knezovich)drinking waterrequirement61 %Percentage used in the inhalation exposure assessment formulaMulti-route assessment of volatile organic chemicalshigh
#P013operationaltreatmentrecommendedRecommended Cl:N molar ratio for NDMA reductiondrinking watertreatment_goal4 molar ratioChlorination at this ratio produced negligible levels of NDMA compared to lower ratiosSecondary disinfection/breakpoint chlorinationhigh
#P014operationalhealthmandatorySignificant route contribution thresholddrinking waterrequirement10 %Threshold used to determine if dermal or inhalation routes must be included in multi-route exposure assessmentContribution relative to 1.5 L/d drinking water consumptionhigh
#P015operationaltreatmentrecommendedFree chlorine contact time for NDMA reductiondrinking watertreatment_goal2 hContact time prior to chloramination to achieve 93% reduction in NDMA formationBench-scale optimization for treatment plantshigh
#P016designtreatmentguidelineUV dose for virus inactivationdrinking watertreatment_goal100 mJ/cm²Reference value for disinfection efficacy compared to NDMA reduction requirement of 1000 mJ/cm²Standard municipal UV disinfection systemshigh

D Definitions (25)

Req ID Category Name Context Confidence
#D001NDMAN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D002DMAdimethylaminehigh
#D0032,4-D2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acidhigh
#D004MCPA4-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)acetic acidhigh
#D005Kpskin permeability coefficienthigh
#D006Fair:waterair to water NDMA concentrationhigh
#D007KawHenry's law constantmedium
#D008EPAU.S. Environmental Protection Agencyhigh
#D009AOPadvanced oxidation processhigh
#D010ROreverse osmosishigh
#D011ANSIAmerican National Standards Institutehigh
#D012SCCStandards Council of Canadahigh
#D013NSFNSF Internationalmedium
#D014DMNN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D015DMNAN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D016Kown -octanol/water partition coefficienthigh
#D017KawHenry's law constanthigh
#D018MWmolecular weighthigh
#D019Leqlitre-equivalentshigh
#D020UVultraviolet radiationhigh
#D021dimethylnitrosoamineN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D022N, N-dimethylnitrosoamineN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D023N-methyl-N-nitrosomethanamineN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D024N-nitroso-N, N-dimethylamineN -Nitrosodimethylaminehigh
#D025ambient airoutdoor airhigh