Sediments linear alkylbenzene sulfonate

Gonzalez S, Petrovic M, Barcelo D (2004) Simultaneous extraction and fate of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, coconut diethanol amides, nonylphenol ethoxylates and their degradation products in wastewater treatment plants, receiving coastal waters and sediments in the Catalonian area (NE Spain). J Chromatogr A 1052(1-2) 111-120... 

Although the marine environment can generally be considered the final destination of industrial and urban wastewater effluents, studies of biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) in this compartment have been scarce until recently [1—8]. The removal of LAS from the marine medium seems to be an efficient process, as shown by the low levels of LAS detected in samples of both water and sediment [9—11]. High values have only been found in zones close to the direct wastewater effluent discharge points of urban areas [11]. 

OCCURRENCE OF SURFACTANTS IN SURFACE WATERS AND FRESHWATER SEDIMENTS—II. LINEAR ALKYLBENZENE SULFONATES AND THEIR CARBOXYLATED DEGRADATION PRODUCTS... 

Surfactants and their biotransformation products enter surface waters primarily through discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Depending on their physicochemical properties, surface-active substances may partition between the dissolved phase and the solid phase through adsorption onto suspended particles and sediments [1,2]. Several environmental studies have been dedicated to the assessment of the contribution of surfactant residues in effluents to the total load of surfactants in receiving waters. This contribution reviews the relevant literature describing the presence of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LASs) and in particular of their degradation products in surface waters and sediments (Table 6.3.1). 

Lara-Martin, P. 2005. Determination and distribution of alkyl, ethoxysuffates and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates in coastal marine sediments from the Bay of Cadiz (Southwest of Spain). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24 2196-2202. 

Morales-Munoz, S., J.L. Luque-Garcia, and M.D. Luque de Castro. 2004. Screening method for linear alkylbenzene sulfonates in sediments based on water Soxhlet extraction assisted by focused microwaves with on-line preconcentration/derivatization/detection. J. Chromatogr. A 1026 41 —46. 

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (from detergents) are found in the range 0-5.0 mg kg in both freshwater and marine sediments. Higher levels occasionally found in sediments are associated with untreated sewage effluent (Cavalli et al, 2000). 

Dated sediment layers (1939-1991) of a small German river were studied for their LAS concentrations and the gathered data were related to political, economic and technical developments in Germany [14]. As expected the sediments corresponding to the period 1939-1945 contained no LAS, since at that time soap was the most important surfactant used for laundry washing. A significantly different picture was obtained in sediments from 1949 to 1951 when a particular LAS was used along with soap. The values determined in the two core samples amounted to 1.4 and 1.3 mg kg-1, respectively. In the sediment horizons from 1954 to 1956 no LASs were detected, which is in accordance with the fact that the less expensive branched alkylbenzene sulfonate (ABS) had replaced the linear one. In the years from 1959 to... 

The presence of some surfactants or their by-products in the aquatic environment has been considered as a potential marker of pollution [45, 325]. Thus, the presence of alkylbenzene sulfonates in groundwater has been used as an indicator of the age of the groundwater [358]. Linear alkylbenzenes can act as tracers of domestic waste in the marine environment [34,35,359,360] and trial-kylamines as indicators of urban sewage in sludge, coastal waters, and sediments [17,33,45,325, 327, 346,361]. Analysis, identification, and characterization of surfactants are extensively reviewed and discussed by Aboul-Kassim and Simoneit [314], while pollution problems associated with these compounds are reviewed by Aboul-Kassim and Simoneit [356]. 

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