What occurs when chloramines are formed?

Chloramines are formed when chlorine binds with ammonia. This reaction occurs in water treatment processes, particularly when chlorine is used as a disinfectant and reacts with ammonia present in the water. The resulting chloramines can have disinfectant properties but are different from free chlorine. They are often used in maintaining water quality in distribution systems because they can persist longer than free chlorine, providing a more stable residual disinfectant.

In contrast to the other options: when chlorine binds with ammonia to form chloramines, it does not evaporate, which rules out the first option. Additionally, while chloramines can sometimes be less effective than chlorine in certain disinfection scenarios, the formation of chloramines does not inherently mean that chlorine becomes ineffective in all contexts. Also, chlorine is not physically removed from the water during this process; instead, it is converted into a different chemical compound, which makes the formation of chloramines a significant reaction in water treatment.