Determination of Surfactants in Environmental Samples. Part III. Non-Ionic Compounds

Abstract

Non-ionic surface active agents are a diverse group of chemicals which have an uncharged polar head and a non-polar tail. They have different properties due to amphiphilic structure of their molecules. Commercial available non-ionic surfactants consist of the broadest spectrum of compounds in comparison with other types of such agents. Typically, non-ionic compounds found applications in households and industry during formulation of cleaning products, cosmetics, paints, preservative coatings, resins, textiles, pulp and paper, petroleum products or pesticides. Their are one of the most common use class of surfactants which can be potential pollution sources of the different compartment of environment (because of they widely application or discharging treated wastewaters to surface water and sludge in agricultural). It is important to investigate the behavior, environmental fate of non-ionic surfactants and their impact on living organisms (they are toxic and/or can disrupt endocrine functions). To solve such problems should be applied appropriated analytical tools. Sample preparation step is one of the most critical part of analytical procedures in determination of different compounds in environmental matrices. Traditional extraction techniques (LLE -for liquid samples; SLE -for solid samples) are time and solvent-consuming. Developments in this field result in improving isolation efficiency and decreasing solvent consumption (eg SPE and SPME -liquid samples or PLE, SFE and MAE -solid samples). At final determination step can be applied spectrophotometric technique, potentiometric titrametration or tensammetry (determination total concentration of non-ionic surfactants) or chromatographic techniques coupled with appropriated detection techniques (individual analytes). The literature data concerning the concentrations of non-ionic surfactants in the different compartments of the environment can give general view that various ecosystems are polluted by those compounds.

A voltammetric sensor based on mixed proton-electron conducting composite including metal-organic framework JUK-2 for determination of citalopram

“…In the case of 10-fold excess of CTAB or Triton X-100 in comparison to CIT concentration, the signal decreases even by 70%. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that the occurrence of cationic or non-ionic surfactants in highly polluted water samples could make the CIT determination difficult; however these surfactants usually occur in environmental waters at a nanomolar level [ 34 , 41 ]; therefore the risk is relatively low.…”

Surfactants in Klodnica River (Katowice, Poland). Part I. Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonates (LAS)

“…Moreover, it has been established on the basis of long-term research that the Klodnica is highly polluted throughout its nearly whole length due to the emission of various chemical compounds with treated effluents or their discharge without previous treatment. The above aspects confirm the possibility of pollution of the Klodnica's ecosystem with surfactants and comprehensive research in this area is justified [17,18].…”

The Romanian Map of Organic Pollution from Domestic Wastewaters � Seasonal Variations of Anionic Surfactants And Organic Load (COD)

“…The samples are extracted into a 250 mL separating funnel with chloroform, using doses of 15, 10 and 10 mL and in the presence of neutral methylene blue solution. The extracts were introduced to a volumetric flask (50 mL) and filled with chloroform to final volume of 50 mL and adsorption spectra were measured using chloroform as blank at 650 nm, according to the Romanian standard (SR EN 903:2003) [22]. A spectrophotometer Analytic Jena Specord 205 with the ability to acquire spectra in range of 200-1100 nm was used in order to determine the AS concentration (etalon curve with sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, CAS 52319-06-9, Merck).…”