Solubilization of pyrene by anionic–nonionic mixed surfactants

Abstract

Surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) is an effective approach for the removal of sorbed hydrophobic organic compounds from contaminated soils. The solubilization of pyrene by four anionic–nonionic mixed surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with Triton X-405 (TX405), Brij35, Brij58, and Triton X-100 (TX100), has been studied from measurements of the molar solubilization ratio (MSR), the micelle–water partition coefficient ( K mc), and the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The MSRs of pyrene in mixed surfactants are found to be larger than those predicted according to an ideal mixing rule. The mixing effect of anionic and nonionic surfactants on MSR for pyrene follows the order of SDS–TX405 > SDS–Brij35 > SDS–Brij58 > SDS–TX100 and increases with an increase in the hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) value of nonionic surfactant in mixed systems. In addition, the mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants cause the K mc value for pyrene to be greater than the ideal value in SDS–TX405 mixed system, but to be smaller than the ideal value in SDS–Brij35, SDS–Brij58, and SDS–TX100 mixed systems. Meanwhile, in the four mixed systems, the experimental CMCs are lower than the ideal CMCs at almost all mixed surfactant solution compositions. The mixing effect of anionic and nonionic surfactants on MSR for pyrene can be attributed to the conjunct or the net result of the negative deviation of the CMCs from ideal mixture and the increasing or decreasing K mc.