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P
inorganic compound with formula Na5 P3 O10 . It is the
sodium salt of the polyphosphate penta-anion, which is
the conjugate base of triphosphoric acid. It is produced
on a large scale as a component of many domestic and
O O
industrial products, especially detergents. Environmental
problems associated with eutrophication are attributed to
O
its widespread use.
- O2P PO-2
1 Preparation and properties
O M O
Sodium tripolyphosphate is produced by heating a stoi-
chiometric mixture of disodium phosphate, Na2 HPO4 ,
and monosodium phosphate, NaH2 PO4 , under carefully Chelation of a metal cation by triphosphate.
controlled conditions.[2]
1
2 6 REFERENCES
4 Environmental eects
In 2000, the worldwide consumption of STPP was esti-
mated to be approximately 2,000,000 tonnes.[5] Because
it is very water-soluble, it is not signicantly transferred
to sewage sludge, and therefore to soil by sludge spread-
ing. No environmental risk related to STPP use in de-
tergents is indicated in soil or air. As an ingredient of
household cleaning products, STPP present in domestic
waste waters is mainly discharged to the aquatic compart-
ment, directly, via waste water treatment plants, via septic
tanks, inltration or other autonomous waste water sys-
tems.
As STPP is an inorganic substance, biodegradation stud- The eutrophication of the Potomac River, caused from phosphate
ies are not applicable. However, STPP can be hydrol- run-o, is evident from the bright green bloom of algae.
ysed, nally to orthophosphate, which can be assimilated
by algae and/or by micro-organisms. STPP thus ends up
being assimilated into the natural phosphorus cycle. Re- trogen or phosphorusin an ecosystem. It may occur
liable published studies conrm biochemical understand- on land or in water. The term is, however, often used
ing, showing that STPP is progressively hydrolysed by to mean the resultant increase in the ecosystems primary
biochemical activity in contact with waste waters (in sew- productivity (excessive plant growth and decay), and fur-
erage pipes and within sewage works) and also in the nat- ther eects including lack of oxygen and severe reduc-
ural aquatic environment. This information enabled the tions in water quality and sh and other animal popula-
calculation of worst case predicted environmental con- tions.
centrations using the EUSES model and the HERA de- Phosphorus can theoretically generate its weight 500
tergent scenario. A default regional release of 10% was times in algae. [7] Whereas the primary production in
applied instead of the 7% regional release indicated in marine waters is mainly nitrogen-limited, fresh waters are
the HERA detergent scenario. Reliable acute aquatic considered to be phosphorus-limited. A large part of the
ecotoxicity studies are available which show that STPP sewage euents in many countries is released untreated
is not toxic to aquatic organisms: all EC/LC50 values into freshwater recipients, and here the use of phosphorus
are above 100 mg/l (Daphnia, sh, algae). Because of as complexing agents is still an environmental concern.[1]
this, and because of the only temporary presence of STPP
in the aquatic environment (due to hydrolysis), no stud-
ies have been carried out to date concerning the chronic 5 See also
eects of STPP on these aquatic organisms. Predicted
no-eect concentrations were therefore calculated for the
Acceptable daily intake
aquatic environment and sediments on the basis of the
acute aquatic ecotoxicity results.
6 References
4.1 Eects of wastewater containing phos-
phorus [1] Complexing agents, Environmental and Health Assess-
ment of Substances in Household Detergents and Cos-
metic Detergent Products, Danish Environmental Protec-
Detergents containing phosphorus contribute, together
tion Agency, Accessed 2008-07-15
with other sources of phosphorus, to the eutrophication
of many fresh waters.[1] Eutrophication is an increase in [2] Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chem-
chemical nutrientstypically compounds containing ni- istry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
3
ISBN 0-08-037941-9.
7.2 Images
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