NDMA PRODUCTION

In its most basic, NDMA can be formed by the chemical interaction of dimethylamine ((CH3)2 NH2) and nitrites (N02) forming N-nitrosodimethylamine or (CH3)2NNO with the C being carbon, the H being hydrogen, the N being nitrogen and the O being oxygen. Therefore the two most important precursers are dimethylamine and sodium nitrite (NaNo2). Both nitrites (NO2) and nitrates (NO4) are very common in the natural environment especially in rural, agricultural areas. They can be found in fertilizers as well as in septic tanks and animal feedlots. Dimethylamine can also be found in urine and feces as well as in sewage treatment plants and the leather, rubber and pesticide production industries. One can certainly see how Elmira and Uniroyal Chemical (rubber additives, pesticde prod'n) ticked all the boxes when our authorities were looking for the source of NDMA in Elmira's drinking water in 1989. ............................................................................................................ There are other factors involved in NDMA production. An acidic environment is one of them. Production wastewaters filled with various acids such as both 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T (2,4 dichlorophenoxyaceticACID and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyaceticACID) are an example. .................................................................................................. Soil moisture is yet another factor. Drier soils will produce more NDMA than wetter soils as one would find say on both sides of the Canagagigue Creek where Uniroyal Chemical was located. ...................................................................................................... A high carbon source in soils increases the production of NDMA as long as the two precursers are available (i.e. dimethylamine and nitrite). I suspect one high carbon source would be sugars perhaps such as automotive antifreeze. Any chance that pig feedlots would feed stale doughnuts or pastries to pigs? ...................................................................................................................... So besides Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira were there any other local industries that ticked all the boxes? The answer I believe is yes and that would be Varnicolor Chemical, just down the road (Union St.). They handled and used dimethylamine, antifreeze, acids (H2SO4), and had drier soils as they were at a higher elevation on Union St. than Uniroyal. They also were located on the site of a former pig farm plus they had a septic tank in their backyard that while formerly enriching the soils with nitrites (same as the pig farm) also discharged both sulphuric acid after a spill from a tankertruck inside the building connected to the septic tank and a buried road tanker and discharged dimethylamine that was used in a can coating process. Lastly this same underground discharge from inside their building on Union St. also discharged antifreeze (carbon source). ......................................................................................................... Perhaps if our authorities (MOE/MECP, Region & Township) had honestly provided this information in 1989 to 1991 then I might have at least a little confidence in their excluding Varnicolor Chemical from consideration of even contributing to the NDMA in our Elmira Aquifers. Keep in mind that the very same municipal aquifer that runs below Uniroyal Chemical also runs below Varnicolor Chemical. Keep in mind that the Ministry of Environment reneged on their promise to investigate and examine the "...full aereal and vertical extent of contamination on the Varnicolor site.". They waited for twenty-five years to release anything about the deeper subsurface contamination on the site. They also lied like dogs and were caught so doing multiple times by citizens in those early days (1989-1992). ................................................................................................................... Citizens have learned the hard way. Our authorities lie to us routinely. You can call it a coverup, a conspiracy or whatever you want. I look at it this way: Once I've caught you lying to me more than once, than your word is meaningless and you deserve both my contempt and my disbelief of whatever other misinformation you are trying to sell. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me.