Degradation of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) by oxidation with lead dioxide suspension

Degradation of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) by oxidation with lead dioxide suspension has been studied by differential pulse polarography. The NTA was degraded over the pH range from 4 to 9, with formation of glycine or a mixture of iminodiacetic acid and glycine. After shaking with lead dioxide for 1 hr at 30 degrees and pH ~7, the NTA was almost completely decomposed, the molar reacting ratio of Pb(IV) to NTA being ~17:1; down to 1 x 10(-5)M NTA was decomposed in a shaking time as short as 15 min and at a temperature as low as 5 degrees . The iron(III)-NTA complex was also degraded under the same conditions, and the iron released was adsorbed on the lead dioxide.