High-resolution solid-state 2 7~1 and 3 1~ MAS NMR has been used to investigate the nature of aluminum-and phosphorus-containing solids formed during wastewater treatment. Although difficult to characterize by conventional techniques, these amorphous solids can be characterized by MAS NMR, providing information about their short-range ordering. In the present study, most of the solids were precipitated under conditions of high alkalinity, similar to those encountered during wastewater treatment. The ageing time of the aluminum hydroxide prior to the addition of phosphate (t,), the ageing time of the aluminum hydroxyphosphates after the addition of phosphate (t2), and the phosphorus to aluminum molar ratio were controlled while the effects of changing the parameters were examined. It was found that the aluminum MAS NMR chemical shift was related to the amount of phosphate present in the solid, which in turn was related to t,, t2, and the P:AI molar ratio. The results also lend support to the hypothesis that phosphate removal occurs through an adsorption process onto amorphous aluminum hydroxide, rather than through direct precipitation of aluminum phosphate. The increased understanding of aluminum and phosphate chemistry and the species formed during wastewater treatment will be useful in optimizing wastewater treatment processes.Key words: aluminum, phosphate, NMR, activated sludge, wastewater treatment.Resume : On a utilisC la RMN MAS du 2 7~1 et du "P pour Ctudier la nature de solides, contenant du phosphore et de I'aluminium, formCs au cours du traitement des eaux usCes. M&me s'ils sont difficiles caractkriser par les techniques conventionnelles, ces solides amorphes peuvent facilement &tre caractCrisCs par la RMN MAS et on obtient ainsi des informations sur leur arrangement B courte distance. Dans la presente ttude, la plupart des solides ont CtC prCcipitCs dans des conditions d'alcalinitk ClevCe semblables B celles utiliskes durant le traitement des eaux usCes. Le temps de vieillissement de l'hydroxyde d'aluminium avant I'addition du phosphate (t,), le temps de vieillissement des hydroxyphosphates d'aluminium aprks l'addition du phosphate (t,) et les rapports molaires du phosphore l'aluminium ont CtC contr81Cs alors que les effets d'un changement de ces parametres ont CtC examinks. On a trouvC que le dCplacement chimique de l'aluminium dans la RMN MAS est reliC a la quantitC de phosphate prCsente dans le solide qui, a son tour, est relie B t , , a t, et au rapport molaire P : Al. Les rCsultats supportent aussi l'hypothkse selon laquelle l'enlkvement du phosphate se produit par un processus de surface sur I'hydroxyde d'aluminium plut6t que par une prkcipitation directe du phosphate d'aluminium. La meilleure comprkhension de la chimie de I'aluminium et des phosphates ainsi que des espkces qui se forment au cours du traitement des eaux usCes sera utile pour l'optimisation dc ces procCdCs de traitement.Mots elks : aluminium, phosphate, RMN, boues activCes, traitement des eaux usCes.[Traduit par la rCd...