Adsorption of dimethylamine from aqueous solution by manganese dioxide

Removal of precursors of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), such as the most direct precursor dimethylamine (DMA), might be an effective method to control NDMA formation during practical water treatment process. Adsorption of DMA onto manganese dioxide (MnO₂) from aqueous solution has been investigated using batch experiments in this study. Results indicate that DMA adsorption is initially rapid (in the first 5 h) and the adsorption process reaches a steady state after 15 h. The adsorption isotherms are well described by the Freundlich models. The desorption shows an irreversibility of DMA adsorption onto MnO₂. The effects of temperature, pH, ionic strength, humic acid, and the presence of other secondary aliphatic amines on adsorption processes are also examined. According to the experimental results, the amount of DMA adsorbed increases with an increase of temperature from 288 to 308 K, and with a decrease of ionic strength from 1 to 10 mM. The maximum adsorption appeared at pH 7.0. However, the amount of DMA adsorbed onto MnO₂ does not show obvious difference in the presence of humic acid. According to the results, it suggests that the adsorption is primarily brought about by electrostatic interaction between DMA and MnO₂ surface.