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Ozonation of Anionic and Non‐ionic Surfactants in Aqueous Solutions: Impact on Aquatic Toxicity
Author(s) -
Lechuga Manuela,
FernándezArteaga Alejandro,
FernándezSerrano Mercedes,
Jurado Encarnación,
Burgos Alejandro,
Ríos Francisco
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of surfactants and detergents
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.349
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1558-9293
pISSN - 1097-3958
DOI - 10.1007/s11743-013-1464-2
Subject(s) - chemistry , pulmonary surfactant , ether , aqueous solution , linear alkylbenzene , alkyl , carboxylic acid , surface tension , organic chemistry , ionic bonding , ion , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of ozonation of anionic and non‐ionic surfactants on their aquatic toxicity. Toxicity values of various commercially important anionic and non‐ionic surfactants have been determined using the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri . Surface tension measurements were made to study the interfacial activity. The behavior depends on the chemical structure. Some intermediate ozonation products were found to be more toxic than the base surfactant and others were found to be less. Surfactants with aromatic rings such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, or surfactants with glycosidic groups such as alkylpolyglucosides, exhibit a lower toxicity after ozonation. On the other hand, ether groups present in the fatty‐alcohol ethoxylates and ether carboxylic derivative surfactants, and carboxylic acid derivates present in the ether carboxylic derivative surfactants lead to increasing toxicity after ozonation. Surfactants with ether groups probably formed short‐chain polyethoxylated compounds and carboxylic acids, which are possibly responsible for the surface‐tension decrease that promotes the toxicity increase.