Solubilization of PCBs by Surfactant Solution: Minimization of Partitioning Loss of Surfactant

Abstract

Studies of solubilization of organic contaminants by surfactants are complicated by the fact that the effective surfactant concentration is decreased by partitioning into the organic phase. This paper introduces an experimental setup for surfactant solubilization where the partitioning loss of surfactants is minimized. Using this setup, two anionic (sodium dodecyl sulphate and Spolapon AOS 146) and one nonionic surfactant (Novanik 0633 A) were compared. When comparing solubilization efficacies expressed as multiples of the critical micelle concentration, the two anionic surfactants were able to solubilize a higher amount of polychlorinated biphenyls. For lower surfactant concentrations, solubilization efficacies were similar for all surfactants. However, it is necessary to take into account that the critical micelle concentration of the nonionic surfactant is considerably lower.