By
Thomas Knepper, ESWE-Institute for Water Research and Water Technology, Wiesbaden, Germany
Pim de Voogt, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Damia Barcelo, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Jordi Girona, Barcelona, Spain
Description
An understanding of the fate and behaviour of organic chemicals, such as surfactants, in the environment is a prerequisite for the sustainable
development of human health and ecosystems. As surfactants are being produced in huge amounts, it is important to have a detailed knowledge
about their lifetime in the environment, their biodegradability in wastewater treatment plants and in natural waters, and their ecotoxicity.
Parameters relevant for the assessment of long-term behaviour, such as interactions with hormonal systems need to be understood to avoid
unexpected adverse effects to future generations of people and the environment. However, the identification and quantification of commercial
surfactants in the environment is made more complicated and cumbersome because they comprise of tens to hundreds of homologues, oligomers
and isomers of anionic, nonionic, cationic and amphoteric compounds.
The EU-funded PRISTINE project (Priority surfactants and their
toxic metabolites in wastewater effluents: An integrated study; ENV4-CT97-0494) provides the basis for the content of this title. It
provides policy makers and industry with detailed information on analysis and concentrations of surfactants and their degradation products
in the environment.
In addition to a general introduction to surfactants, this book comprises a comprehensive variety of analytical
techniques, including sample handling, for the analysis of surfactants in the aquatic environment. Readers will find all the necessary
information for analyzing the different groups of surfactants, with special emphasis on transformation products. Quality assurance is
also reported on in detail. Chapters on toxicity and risk assessment are also included and give a complete perspective on the surfactants
problem in the aquatic environment.
Included in series
Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry
Audience:
Professionals working in environmental laboratories; environmental agencies; surfactants industry; water industry; and sewage treatment facilities.
