InformalReporttoLab#9IntroductiontoWaterandWastewaterTreatmentLab

PhosphatesAnalysis

- Results of experiment:
Dissolved oxygen by Winkler Method: 4.5 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen by meter: 6.84 mg/L
Temperature of river water: 22.8C
% Saturation: 80%

- Question 1
Polyphosphates are used in public water supplies in order of controlling corrosion.
Moreover, they are also used in softened waters for stabilization of calcium carbonate to
eliminate the process of recarbonation. Domestic wastewater is relatively rich in
phosphorus compounds. The amount of phosphorus released is a function of protein
intake, and for the average person in the U.S., this released is considered to be about 1.5
g/day. Most heavy-duty synthetic detergent formulations designed for the household
market contains large amounts of polyphosphates as builders. Many of them contain from
12 to 13 percent phosphorus or over 50 percent polyphosphates. The use of these
materials as a substitute of soap has increased the phosphorus content of domestic
wastewater. In addition, Phosphorus determinations are extremely important in assessing
the potential biological productivity of surface waters, and in many areas limits are being
established on amount of phosphorus that may be discharged to receiving bodies of water,
particularly lakes and reservoirs.

- Question 2
Orthophosphates are dissolved inorganic phosphorus that is usually less than 5% of
the total phosphorus content of a lake. In addition, they are referred as reactive
phosphorus, and they are the most stable type of phosphate. Moreover, polyphosphates,
such as are orthophosphates, are other inorganic phosphorus compounds; however, they
are less stable. Organic phosphorus are phosphorus incorporated as part of an organic
compound and are the major form of total dissolved phosphorus.