Are cationic polyacrylamide copolymers harmful to the environment?

Background Cationic polyacrylamide copolymers (PAMs) are used for sludge dewatering in municipal waste water treatment and might enter the environment by spreading of the sludge on agricultural land. Concern has been expressed since little is known about the degradation of PAMs in soils.

What are cationic polyacrylamide copolymers?

Cationic polyacrylamide copolymers (PAMs) are a group of water-soluble polymers with a wide range of applications in industry, food processing, agriculture and waste management. One of the major applications for PAM is sludge dewatering in municipal waste water treatment plants (MWWTPs).

Are cationic polyacrylamide copolymers used for sludge dewatering?

Environmental Sciences Europe 30, Article number: 16 (2018) Cite this article Cationic polyacrylamide copolymers (PAMs) are used for sludge dewatering in municipal waste water treatment and might enter the environment by spreading of the sludge on agricultural land.

How long do cationic polyacrylamide copolymers last?

Even in a very conservative evaluation which only considered the loss of radioactivity, a half-life time of 5.4 years was determined. Cationic polyacrylamide copolymers (PAMs) are a group of water-soluble polymers with a wide range of applications in industry, food processing, agriculture and waste management.

Do cationic polyacrylamide copolymers degrade in soil after land-spreading?

This project demonstrated that the synthetic cationic polyacrylamide copolymers (PAMs) incorporating C–C-bonds in the main chain slowly degrade in soil after land-spreading as a component of MWWTP sludge.

How long does C-PAM last in soil?

14 C-PAM degrades very slowly in soil after land-spreading as a component of sewage sludge. Even in a very conservative evaluation which only considered the loss of radioactivity, a half-life time of 5.4 years was determined.