Characterisation of Scale Deposits in Drinking Water Pipes by FTIR and ICP-OES

TL;DR

This study uses two analytical methods to examine scale deposits in drinking water pipes, revealing their composition and formation patterns.

Contribution

The novel use of combining ATR-FTIR and ICP-OES to analyze scale deposits in water pipes is introduced.

Findings

Iron oxyhydroxides, silica, and aluminosilicates were dominant in most samples.

The lead pipe deposit spectrum resembled hydrated lead carbonates, but ICP-OES showed only trace lead.

Crystallinity differences in layers helped reconstruct the deposition process in pipes.

Abstract

Attenuated Total Reflection–Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) are widely used to investigate the chemical structure and elemental composition of materials. However, the combined application of both methods to examine scale deposits in the water supply network has not yet been explored. In this study, scale deposits collected from the inlets of six pipes (steel, cast iron, lead, wooden) were analysed using both techniques. The application of ATR-FTIR and ICP-OES enabled the identification of mineral phases, organics, and structural differences between individual scale layers. Iron oxyhydroxides, together with silica and aluminosilicates, dominated most samples, whereas shower faucet deposit was primarily composed of carbonates and stearates. The combined analytical approach helped to avoid misinterpretation of FTIR data: although the spectrum of lead pipe deposit resembled hydrated lead carbonates, ICP-OES revealed only trace amounts of lead. Differences in crystallinity between successive layers allowed the reconstruction of the deposition process within the pipes. Poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxides and silica occurred near pipe walls, while more crystalline phases developed closer to the water interface. These results demonstrate that combining ATR-FTIR and ICP-OES provides a reliable framework for interpreting scale deposit composition and formation in water distribution systems.

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