Aminopolyphosphonate removal during wastewater treatment

Phosphonates are used in large quantities in industry and household products as scale inhibitors and chelating agents. They are not biodegraded during wastewater treatment but are removed by adsorption processes. Field measurements from different wastewater treatment plants affirm that they are removed almost completely during wastewater treatment. Adsorption of nitrilotrismethylenephosphonic acid onto activated sludge, amorphous iron oxide and humic acids (HAs) was studied under controlled conditions. The adsorption onto HAs decreases sharply with increasing pH with negligible adsorption at pH above 6.5. Adsorption onto amorphous iron oxide follows a Langmuir behavior. The presence of 1 mM Ca doubles the maximum surface capacity at pH 7. Adsorption onto activated sludge is not very pH sensitive and is explained to a large extent by adsorption onto amorphous iron oxides, but the contribution of organic matter or other mineral phases cannot be ruled out.