Comlexing agents in waste water effluents of six finnish pulp and paper mills

The gas chromatographic (GC) and the liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods were applied to the determination of the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in waste water effluents of pulp and paper mills. The waste waters of the six pulp and paper mills of different bleaching sequences were investigated. In the effluents EDTA and DTPA were found at the concentrations ranging between 0.24-8.4 mg/1 and 0.51-9.2 mg/l, respectively. Preliminary results of the reduction of EDTA (17–30 %) and DTPA (54–68 a/o) in waste water treatment plants are also presented.