Abstract

In the present work, the influence of different physicochemical characteristics on the distribution of anionic detergents, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), was studied. Surface and bottom water samples were collected from eight different sites from a small bay near the main sewage discharge of Alexandria City (El-Max Bay). The results showed great variations in the concentrations, as a function of the regional and seasonal variations. The study revealed that the pH values lie in the normal side, with a range of 8.0–8.5 inside the bay and 7.5–7.7 at El-Umum Drain effluent. Wide variations, observed between the surface and the bottom water of the bay, salinity, dissolved oxygen, oxidizable organic matter, total hardness, and total alkalinity, were scattered in the ranges (3.33–42.73 practical salinity unit), (0.42–8.27 mg O2/l), (0.12–10.49 mg/l), (1.39–8.99 mg/l), and (0.23–0.48 mg/l), respectively. The regional variations of LAS concentrations in the bay waters showed that the concentration decreased as the distance from the source of drainage water (El-Umum Drain). The seasonal average variations of LAS cleared out that summer and spring periods had the highest concentrations at surface (0.13 ± 0.04 mg LAS/l) and bottom (0.12 ± 0.10 mg LAS/l) layer, which is attributed to increase in population density and human activities. The inverse relationships between total LAS concentration and salinity, dissolved oxygen, and calcium ions concentration are r = −0.78, 0.50, and 0.67, respectively. This is related to the occurrence of the untreated wastewater containing detergents, the biodegradation rate of surfactants, and strong precipitation of LAS as Ca.

Highlights

  • El-Mex district is an industrial zone, west of Alexandria City

  • The exact percentage of the chemical released into the environment mainly depends on the physicochemical and biological properties of the chemical as well as the way it is used and disposed of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) as anionic surfactants and used in detergents and cleaners as intermediates in chemical synthesis

  • The objective of the present study is to investigate the hydrographic conditions of El-Mex Bay water and their influence on the distribution and seasonal variations of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates in the bay water

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Summary

Introduction

As a consequence of growing heavy industries (petrochemicals, pulp metal planting, industrial dyes, and textiles) and the uncontrolled disposal of the resulting waste, the costal water of El-Mex Bay receives huge amounts of untreated industrial wastes (Shriadah and Emara 1996; Fahmy et al 1997). These wastes are containing potentially toxic materials, which are pumped directly into the bay via a pipeline in its southern part. Monitoring and treatment of the sewage is the key for protecting the environment from the negative impact of these chemicals

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