flocculants and coagulants – anionic polyacrylamide in britain
Although polyacrylamide (PAM) and its derivatives have many useful applications, their release in nature can have impacts on the environment and human health, thus bioremediation approaches for residual PAM are urgently needed. Biodegradation of PAM and its derivatives has been studied only in the last two decades, with most emphasis on acrylamide biodegradation.
The hydrolyzed form of polyacrylamide (HPAM), a co-polymer of acrylamide and acrylic acid, is the most widely used anionic PAM in oil and gas development as well as in soil conditioning. 1,9,12,21
