Surface properties and phosphate release of sediments from two Argentinean Reservoirs

L. BORGNINO, M. AVENA Y C. P. DE PAULI

Salvador de Bahía. Brasil

Congreso; 27ª Reunión Anual de Sociedad Brasilera de Química y XXVI Congreso Latinoamericano de Química; 2004

This work reports the general surface properties and phosphate release of sediments from two Argentinean Reservoirs, which are used for water supply. The surface charge of the sediments is negative in the whole pH range studied (4-9) and the phosphate released is highly dependent on pH with an activation energy of  about 90 kJ/mol. The facts that phosphate release rate is directly related to the surface area of the sediments, and the high activation energy of the process, indicates that phosphate release is a surface controlled process and that diffusional processes are not important.