Surfactants in waste and surface water

conference proceedings

English

Surfactants are surface-active agents lowering the surface tension between liquid and solid or between two liquids. They could be used in detergents (surfactants or mixture of surfactants with cleaning properties in dilute solutions), as wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents and dispersants. From the chemical point of view surfactants could be categorized into three basic classes: anionic, cationic and non-ionic. Due to their widespread use in households and in industry these compounds represent risk for the environment. After application they are transported via water to WWTP, where could cause problems in technologoy (excessive foaming) and due to incomplete removal in treatment process they can enter surface water and cause negative effect on aquatic biota. This study was focused on the occurance of 5 frequently used anionic surfactants (sodium butanesulphonate, sodium hexanesulphonate, sodium decanesulphonate, sodium octylsulphate, sodium hexanesulphate) ane one non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-100) at inflow and outflow of 3 waste water treatment plant in Litva River and Tvaroženský Stream. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and electrospray ionization was used for determination of target compounds. The highest level in waste at inflow of all three WWTP were found for sodium butansulfonate and for sodium decansulphate (in tens of ng/L). Presence of the first mentioned compound was also proved in both surface waters.

Surfactants, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, waste water, surface water

ČÁSLAVSKÝ, J.; BRESTOVSKÁ, M.; ŠTEFKA, M.; VÁVROVÁ, M.

3. 12. 2015

978-88-941168-0-9

16th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry

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