Surfactants in relation to bioremediation and wastewater treatment

Abstract

Surfactants have been shown to be beneficial in various technological applications. Recently, a lot of effort has been focused on modelling experimentally observed surfactant-enhanced dissolution, desorption and biodegradation phenomena of highly apolar organic compounds. In addition, the capacity of surfactants to enhance dispersal and growth of specific bacteria in soil has been demonstrated. Also, small amounts of surfactant have been shown to highly improve the anaerobic digestion process. Finally, the environmental fate of surfactants has been a subject of high interest. Although most surfactants appear to be biodegradable, their complete mineralization relies on the activity of mixed cultures. Considerable concern has recently been expressed about relatively stable intermediates which accumulate in the environment.