Techniques for quantification of New Zealand's newly regulated carcinogen, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)

New Zealand drinking water regulators have introduced new limits for N-nitrosodimethylamine, a carcinogenic compound often abbreviated to NDMA, in drinking water. These levels are very low (0.0001 mg/L) and will require specific testing methods to determine if drinking water suppliers meet the new requirements. NDMA has been found in drinking water across the globe, and many analytical techniques have been used to identify and measure it. The most common techniques are preconcentration by solid-phase extraction or solid-phase microextraction, followed by separation by gas or liquid chromatography, and finally detection by mass spectrometry or chemiluminescence. This review intends to introduce researchers to the health risks, prevalence and chemistry of NDMA, before summarising suitable techniques for its analysis at the NZ regulatory level (<0.0001 mg/L).