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ADSORPTION OF SURFACTANTS
Citation:
Brownawell, B., H. Chen, W. Zhang, AND J. Westall. ADSORPTION OF SURFACTANTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-92/013 (NTIS PB92143809), 1992.
Description:
Adsorption of surfactants on particles affects their distribution, fate, and effects in natural waters. xperiments were conducted to study the properties of surfactant (charge and structure), solution [H+], [Ca2+], and [Na+]), and sorbent (e.g., organic carbon and cation exchange capacity) that affect adsorption. he surfactants studied included dodecylpyridinium, homologs of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates, and homologs of "alcohol ethoxylates" (monoalkyl ethers of poly(ethylene glycol)). dsorption isotherms were determined for a set of five soils and sediments. sotherms determined with aqueous-phase concentrations in the submicromolar range were all nonlinear and were described well by the Freundlich equation. he adsorption energies reflected a combination of hydrophobic, electrostatic, and specific chemical interactions. he results of our study Indicate that the properties of sorbent and solution that control adsorption are different for different classes of surfactants. he results are discussed relative to adsorption mechanisms and surfactant speciation in natural waters.
