Effect of EDTA on total dissolved copper concentration in textile effluents

The expected fate of copper in textile effluents has been examined in the context of an activated sludge waste treatment scenario, using experimental rate constants and results from previous sorption studies. The effect of EDTA on total dissolved copper concentrations, in effluent streams during waste treatment, is discussed in terms of competitive sorption and sequestration kinetics. For this purpose, rate constants for the reaction of EDTA with five reactive dyes were estimated spectrophotometrically. The results of these experiments show that the use of excess sequestrant can dramatically increase total dissolved copper concentrations in the effluent stream.