Partitioning of hydrophobic organic compounds to sorbed surfactants. 1: Experimental studies

Journal Article · Tue Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es971075e· OSTI ID:655449

Ko, S O; Schlautman, M A; Carraway, E R ^[1]

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1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

The widespread occurrence of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in soils and groundwaters has led to intensive studies of the mobility and fate of these contaminants in subsurface environments and of their remediation potential. Partitioning of two HOCs, phenanthrene and naphthalene, to surfactant micelles, kaolinite, and sorbed surfactants was studied to provide further insight on (1) the effectiveness of using sorbed surfactants to remove HOCs from water and (2) the feasibility of surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) for contaminated subsurface systems. Sorbed surfactant partition coefficients, K{sub ss}, showed a strong dependence on the surfactant sorption isotherms: at low sorbed surfactant levels K{sub ss} values were at their highest and then decreased with increasing surfactant sorption densities. K{sub ss} values for SDS were always larger than the corresponding micellar partition coefficient (K{sub mic}) values; for Tween 80, however, K{sub ss} values were higher than K{sub mic} values only at the lower sorbed surfactant densities. HOC distributions between the immobile and mobile phases varied with surfactant dose because of the competition between sorbed and micellar surfactants for HOC partitioning: distribution coefficients increased initially with increasing surfactant concentrations before decreasing at higher doses. Overall results of this study demonstrate that surfactant sorption to the solid phase can lead to increases in HOC retardation when equilibrium conditions are applicable.

• OSTI ID: 655449
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 32; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
NAPHTHALENE
PHENANTHRENE
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
SORPTION
SURFACTANTS