Disinfection by-products in the chlorination of organic nitrogen compounds: By-products from kynurenine

Volatile by-products in the chlorination of 3 humic acids as naturally-occurring substances and 37 nitrogen compounds normally found in excrement were analyzed, and as result kynurenine, a urinary metabolite of tryptophan was found a suitable model compound for dichloroacetonitrile-forming precursors. Possible pathways for the formation of chlorination by-products from kynurenine were also proposed by identification and kinetic properties of by-products decomposed further from each product.