Nitrolotriacetic acid in seawater: determination and biodegradebility

Abstract

Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), N(CH2CO2H), has been the subject of considerable research and public interest over the past few years. The need to predict the environmental impact of NTA became necessary when this chemical was prepared as a replacement for polyphosphates in household detergents and this instigated the bulk of recent research on this Compound. A summary of this research, given in the Introduction Section of this thesis, shows that little work had been done in studying the effect NTA might have on the marine environment. -- Our contribution to this area of research includes the development of a gas chromatographic method of analysis capable of determining NTA below the ppm level in seawater. This method should facilitate further studies of NTA in seawater. The analytical procedure developed was then put to use in a study of the biodegradability of NTA in seawater which is also described in this thesis