Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate Toxicity Removal Treated by Electron Beam Radiation

Abstract

Surfactants, as detergent active substances, are also an important source of pollution causing biological adverse effects to aquatic organisms. The presence of surfactants may cause serious ecological disturbances, so affecting aquatic organisms, including fishes. Several studies have demonstrated the efficiency of effluent treatment with electron beam that can contain organic compounds as contaminants, and a big reduction being observed after the treatment. In the present work acute and chronic toxicity tests were performed with the organisms Daphnia similis, Vibrio fischeri and Ceriodaphnia dubia for the toxicity evaluation caused by the surfactant dodecyl p-benzenesulphonate acid, LAS, that is the most used anionic surfactant worldwide, in distilled water. The LAS solution was treated with electron beam in order to study the degradation of this surfactant by the ionizing radiation and the percentage of the acute and chronic toxicity reduction. The results obtained showed a acute toxicity reduction between 30.04% and 68.94% and between 45.70% and 64.99% for the chronic toxicity, using radiation doses of 3.0 kGy, 6.0 kGy, 9.0 kGy and 12.0 kGy. The doses of 3.0 kGy and 6.0 kGy were the most effective for the toxicity reduction of LAS. The concentration reduction, in mg/L, due to the cleavage of the surfactant molecule by the ionizing radiation, was monitored by the Methylene Blue Method, also known as MBAS. The ionizing radiation showed high efficiency for the concentration and toxicity reduction of the surfactant that was studied.