ASTM International Water Committee developing proposed contaminate monitoring standard

ASTM International’s water committee (D19) is developing a proposed standard (WK74011) that would aid water treatment facilities in monitoring nitrosamine contamination. 

Nitrosamines are contaminants commonly found in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Because nitrosamines have been traced to a potential increase in the risk of cancer, their presence has been monitored by the United States Food and Drug Administration since 2018. 

According to ASTM International member William Lipps, pre-treatment wastewater from various industries entering sewage treatment facilities could lead to low level release of nitrosamines  in the plant’s effluent. 

“Currently many industries do not have set waste guidelines, nor are nitrosamines regulated at a national level in wastewater effluents,” says Lipps, general manager, government and regulatory business development, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. 

Laboratories at municipal water treatment facilities, or the various industries that may release nitrosamines into their wastewater will be principal users of the proposed standard. Data collected through use of the standard will be used by water treatment plant operators, consultants, or regulators in efforts to determine and know the extent of nitrosamine contamination.

This effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Devepment Goal #6 on clean water and sanitation. 

Lipps notes that a subcommittee on organics in water (D19.06) is developing the proposed standard, and is in the process of developing other proposed standards based on recent sustainable technology that can be used to analyze contaminants in water. Some of these methods include microplastics in water, PFAS and total organic fluorine, rapid radionuclides, and on-line analysers.