Having trouble treating your wastewater? Maybe one or more of these sequestering agents are in the mix. Ask your process chemical supplier to identify all the chelators in the solutions you buy for your process line, then start eliminating them by going to products which don't use so much or don't need them at all.

In 2000 the EPA published this list of chemicals known as Chelators, sequestering agents that tend to hold metals and other solids in solution.

Ammonia
Ammonium chloride
Ammonium hydroxide
Ammonium bifluoride
Acetylacetone
Citric acid
Chromotropic acid (DNS)
Cyanide
DTPA
Dipyridil
Disulfopyrocathecol (PDS)
Dimethylglyoxime
Disalicylaldehyde 1,2-propylenediamine
Dimercaptopropanol (BAL)
Dithizone
Diethyl dithiophosphoric acid
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)
Ethylenebis (hydroxyphenylglycine) (EHPG)
Ethylenediamine
Ethylenediaminetetra (methylenephosphoric acid)
(EDTPO)
Glyceric acid
Glycolic acid
Gluconic acid
Hydroxyethylidenediphosphonic acid (HEDP)
HEDDA
Lactic acid
Lignosite
Malic acid
Monosodium phosphate
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)
N-dihydroxyethylglycine
Nitrilomethylenephosphonic acid (NTPO, ATMP)
N-hydroxyethylethylenediamine
O-phenanthroline
Oxalic acid
Oxine
8-hydroxyquinoline
Oxinesulfonic acid
Phthalocyanine
Potassium ethyl xanthate
Phosphoric acid
Polyethyleneimine (PEI)
Polymethyacryloylacetone
Poly (p-vinylbenzyliminodiacetic acid
Rochelle salts
Sodium gluconate
Sodium pyrophosphate
Succinic acid
Sodium tripolyphosphate
Sulphosalicylic acid (SSA)
Salicylaldehyde
Salicylaldioxime
Sodium hydroxyacetate
Sodium citrate
Sodium fluoride
Sodium maleate
Sodium amino acetate
Tartaric acid
Trisodium phosphate (TSP)
Trifluoroacetylacetone
Thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA)
Triethylenetertamine
Triaminotriethylamine
Triethanolamine (TEA)
Tetraphenylporphin
Toluene dithiol
Thioglycolic acid
Thiourea
Urea